Romance of the Gods
by Alma Theresa
Summary: Ariel just moved in with her cousin in Harmonica Town, and learned something startling. Her cousin, Nick, is married to the Harvest Goddess! And the Harvest Goddess thinks that Ariel might be just what her brother, the Harvest God, needs to move on.
1. The Girl and The God

1: The Girl and the God

"What's with you?" sighed Cefia, crossing her arms, "You mope around like a lost dog. You're the Harvest King, God of all seasons and Earth, why can't you at least ACT like you enjoy your job?"

Ignis sighed, trying to ignore his sister. For thousands of years the two had been in charge of the world and it's bounty, but he had grown very tiresome of his duties. In his palace, he could watch through a magic orb to over-see the world, and while his constant duties kept him confined to the world above, Cefia, the Harvest Goddess, was more content to frolic around in the world below.

Her current fancy was a place known as Harmonica Town. There, she had taken a mortal for her husband, and grew heavy with his child. He didn't not understand the ways of mortals, or what drew her to them. He had seen so many hardships come from those creatures, so much pain inflicted on the world because of them, yet she was entranced by them.

"What will you do when this mortal dies, sister?" he had told her when she decided to marry the man, "What will become of you, and any child you bear? Widowed, with a fatherless immortal babe. What will you do?"

She merely laughed, "I have no intention of letting him die. I have offered him immortality in the form of our wedding band," she said, "I will place magic into the stone set in the golden-ring, and as long as he is my faithful husband, he will live as long as I."

"Brother!" Cefia snapped at him. Ignis, lost in thought as he stared off, jerked before giving her his attention.

"Is there something you need of me, sister?" he asked her.

Her face grew hot and red, "Oh! You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"

Ignis straightened, "Did you say something of importance?"

"Whether what I said was important or not is not what matters!" she scolded him, waltzing with no fear to his throne, "I cannot believe you, brother! All you have done for centuries is stay locked in this palace! Why don't you go down amongst the people?"

Ignis glared at her, "My duties keep me here. I am needed in many places. I have to bring the seasonal crops, the rain, the fertility of the land. Like you as well, sister, should be doing. But because you choose to stay with your mortal, I must do the work of both of us."

"Do no blame this dilemma on Nicolas!" she scoffed, "You have been this way since the death of that woman!"

Ignis became very rigid and still. His hands tightened on the throne's arms, glaring at his sister. He rose to his feet, "I will not hear this from you, sister," he said, "I answered the summons you and your beloved called for. I came and healed your husband's home, and allowed you to take him for your life-mate. I have been very understanding and patient with you and your fancies," he leaned closer to her, easily towering over her as always, though she never flinched from him, "But I will not allow myself to be belittled by you!"

Cefia glared at him, "Ignis, you are blocking yourself from the mortals because of that woman," she snapped, "And I will not see my brother do this again. Have you forgotten that Nicolas is not my first love? I have loved mortals as well!"

Ignis clicked his tongue and walked around his sister, "Enough of this. Leave, go to your mortal husband."

"Ignis!"

Ignis ignored her and left the throne-chamber. He walked the empty halls ways, though the entire palace was covered with life. Vines and roots and other plant life covered the walls and floors. They would move aside where-ever he walked, and birds chirped along with animals chattering.

As he passed an open quart yard, a large tree bent down its branches to offer an apple to him. He took it and bowed to the tree, "Thank you, Grandmother Tree," he said, and took a bite from it.

He walked to his chambers, a collection of rooms, and went to his bed-suite. Inside was darker, and seemed to be a walled room around the roots of a the largest tree ever. There was a circular space between roots. It was a bed with the finest sheets of royal purple and blue, and the large windows were formed out of thin vines and roots with glass between their weavings. Looking out them, you would see a large span of mountains and forest.

It was beautiful, yes, but seeing the same view for millennia had made it loose it's mystifying touch. He went to the book-shelf that seemed to be carved out of the tree and looked through the tomes. All were actually written by his hand, different journals he had kept of how the world he watched over progressed. He pulled one out from many hundreds of years ago to open up to a marked page.

There was a painted portrait inside of a beautiful woman...one he had loved.

--

"Ariel!" called Nicolas, waving to her. Ariel stopped plowing her cousin's fields as he came over, smiling to her. She had come here on his recommendation after completing her studies back home. He said it would be a great place for her to make her start.

She loved it here. It was so beautiful, and the air was so clean and fresh. And because Nick was single, he needed as much help as he could get on the farm.

"Here," he handed her a drink. "Complements of Maya. Don't worry, she didn't make it."

Ariel giggled and drank it. She was surprised at how lovely and welcoming the people of this town were. It was nice and refreshing, much different from the city where she grew up.

But, as she and her cousin sat down to enjoy their lemonade, she remembered something. "Nick, why aren't you married?"

Nick nearly choked on his drink, "What!?"

"Sorry for being a little forward," she said with a laugh, "But...there are a lot of cute girls here, and they all seem to like you. I bet you could have your pick of them!"

Nick chuckled, looking into his glass, "Well...possibly but..." he smiled softly, "Actually, there's only one woman I like. But...she's pretty far out there, y'know?"

Ariel raised an eyebrow, "You mean she's nuts?"

"Huh?" Nick looked surprised, "No! That's not what I meant! I mean she's pretty...well, high up. Much to far up for a farmer like me, I mean."

"What?" Ariel glared, "Stereo-types are so...so old school man! Why do you care about stuff like that if you love her! Go for it!"

Nick looked at her for a long while, then laughed, "Later on...I want you to meet her, okay?"

Ariel lit up, "Sure thing! I'd love to!"

Nick nodded, "Cool," he finished his lemonade, then stood up, "well, that field ain't going to plow itself, let's go!"

--

"Ignis," Cefia knocked softly on her brother's door. When he didn't answer, she dared to open it slowly. Looking it, she sighed. In the dim light of the torches and the candles, she could see him on his bed, fast asleep.

She was quiet as she moved over to watch him. 'When does the god get to rest from guarding his world?' she thought, and reached down to run her hand through his fire-colored hair. He didn't even stir, so deep was his sleep.

Cefia noticed his hand held a book that had fallen closed on his thumb, which held the place. Slowly, careful not to wake him, she took it and opened it. The sight of the portrait made her frown. She looked to her sleeping brother, who resembled so much like a little boy, and couldn't be angry that he had kept this, deciding not to move on.

She shook her head, closing the book and placing it back on the book shelf before taking her leave. As she exited, she waved her hand so that a gentle wind blew out all of the lights, and the darkness of night over took the room. She closed the door behind her after taking one last glance at her brother. 'Perhaps he needs some guidance in this,' she decided as she closed the door quietly.

--

**A/N:** Okay, okay, so I haven't really _played_ the new Harvest Moon game…but I know about it. XP And I have fallen in love with Ignis, the Harvest King (Lord, God, whatever you want to call him, it's really all the same.) Anyway, so I'm starting a fan-fic for it while I feverously await the English version to come out! And WHOOT! It's coming out just in time for my birth-day, isn't that great!?! XD Anyway, review if you want, and I hope you enjoy it.

P.S. If you don't know, "Ariel" and "Nick" are really just the main boy and girl of the game. ^-^; I just made them cousins for the heck of it. Also, yes some things may be changed and different...but it's all for the sake of my imagination!!! XD


	2. Meeting

2: Meeting

"Ariel," Nick shook his cousin's shoulder, "Ariel! Wake up!"

"Hmm?" Ariel rolled over, "What is it? Good God, Nick! Do you have any idea what time it is!?"

There was laughter like bells, "What a marvelous choice of words, dear girl! For you are in the presence of a god."

The sound of this woman's voice made Ariel shoot up so fast that she knocked heads with Nick. They both bent over in pain, and whoever it was laughed harder. When Ariel finally was able to look at the woman, she gasped in amazement.

She was beautiful and tall, with long ice-blue hair that was braided down her back. She wore whips of white and blue satin, and she was pregnant. VERY pregnant.

"Ariel," Nick said, walking to the woman's side, "This is the Harvest Goddess, Cefia...my wife."

Ariel's jaw dropped, "You're WIFE?!"

The woman giggled, "Yes, dear girl. I am his wife, he is my husband, and this," she placed her hands on her stomach, "Is our child. Wonderful isn't it?"

Ariel looked almost horrified. Nick finally went over and put his hands on her shoulders, "Why don't I explain while you try to breathe again, okay?"

Ariel only managed a small sound in response. For the next hour, Cefia and Nick explained what had happened from the day Nick came to Harmonica Town. Ariel listened, all the while trying to find ways to so respect to the goddess. She would bow and not look at her in the eye, avoiding any sort of touch or anything. 'When he said she was out there...I didn't think he meant THIS,' she thought.

As they finished, Cefia surprised Ariel by asking, "Are you married, Ariel?"

Ariel jumped and nearly fell out of her chair, "Umm...no."

"Involved? Do you love somebody, by chance?" Cefia pressed.

"N-No," she said again.

Cefia smiled, then waved her off, "Will you go busy yourself, dear girl? I would like to spend some time with my husband."

Ariel's face turned bright red as she rushed out of the house. She decided she would go to the mines, to put as much distances between herself and this house as possible.

--

Ariel gasped and silenced herself with a hand over her mouth, jumping behind the nearest rock to hide as she saw the flash of red-aura appear and the form of the Harvest God appear. She wasn't stupid, she knew who the Harvest God and Goddess were , and has seen enough paintings and stain-glass pictures to know what they looked like.

She hadn't really been paying attention when she went to explore the mine, and before she knew it, she was hopelessly lost. She decided her best bet was to just try and retrace her steps, but that only got her more lost. When she thought she saw the way out, she actually found herself here. She would've never guess though that HERE was at the Earthly-Seat of the Harvest King!

Here was where he came to look over this part of the world, and since his sister settled down here, he visited often, she guessed. Trying to be as still and silent as possible, she listened and tried not to make herself known.

"...what does she see in these foolish people?" she heard him mumble, "She has always been odd...but why this man?"

She was questioning who he was speaking of, until she remembered what Nick and Cefia had said. Though the Harvest God agreed to allow the marriage, he wasn't fully on board with the whole "immortal/mortal" relationships. She was quiet, as was he, for a long while.

Hours passed, it would soon be sunrise, and Ariel was exhausted. She didn't want to move though, or risk him knowing she was there. She was hungry, and had to go to the bath-room too. She stayed put though, hoping he'd leave with the sunrise.

She had rested her brow to her knees and waited silently, almost falling asleep, when she jumped to alert. There was a noise, sweet and chiming. When she looked, she saw a beautiful bright blue bird sitting above her on the rock she was hiding behind, looking down at her and singing his little song.

Shoo!" she whispered, waving her hand, "Shoo! Shoo! Shhh!" she said, trying to keep it quiet.

But she noticed, with the light from the rising sun, the shadow coming up. She felt her heard race and her entire body break out in a cold sweat. What would he do when he realized she had been sitting there almost all night?

"Who is there?" he said in a deep, commanding voice, "Show yourself, mortal."

Ariel felt like a kid caught by their dad breaking curfew, and slowly got to her feet, stepping out into his view. She quickly bowed to him, "P-Please forgive me. I didn't mean to...intrude. I was lost in the mines and..."

She stopped herself. What difference did it make if she was lost? She had been eavesdropping…sorta. There was a long silence, then he said, "Raise your face."

Ariel did slowly, and was instantly captured by him. With long, wild hair that looked like flames, eyes like red-rubies, and skin the color of cream, he was beautiful. So tall that he could tower over most men she knew, and strongly built, he was truly beautiful. His body was surrounded by a glowing aura of red, and he wore a robe of white and red, along with golden jewelry about his arms, neck, and pointed ears.

She had to look away from him, realizing that she was blushing and staring to long at him. "F-Forgive me, lord..."

"Why do you ask forgiveness when you have done nothing?" he asked her.

"I..." she paused, surprised.

"Come here," he said, waving to her and turning back to the scenery, "Come stand beside me, woman."

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Ariel slowly went to stand beside him. She came to his side, and did everything in her power to keep her eyes from meeting his. Instead, she found a very interesting rock that she gave her undivided attention.

The silence between them went on forever. There was nothing like it, it felt like it was going to last until one of them left. The sun rising from this height was something to watch. Her mind went from watching her very intrusting rock to watching the curling clouds around the dawn sky.

After a long while of watching, she felt her body become heavy. She let out a yawn, rubbing her eyes. She looked tiredly at the god next to her, and blinked a few times to get rid of the blurriness caused by her yawn. He was watching her...

She blushed again and looked down, and then he said "You should return to your home to rest, woman."

Ariel nodded, and turned to leave. As she made her way down the steps, she paused, to look back. He was still watching her. She looked away. "What is your name, woman?" he asked.

"...Ariel," she said.

"Ariel..." he repeated, sounding like he was testing the name on his lips, "Hmm..." he said nothing more, but looked away. Ariel took that as her dismissal, and hurried away with her heart pounding. She made it all the way back to the Ranch on fumes and adrenaline.

Nick wasn't around, probably in the barn tending to his animals. So she slipped into the house and kicked off her shoes, crawling into bed to sleep the day away.

--

Cefia laughed in her bell like tone, "How wonderful!" she said, "My brother has finally left this empty palace to find a friend!"

Ignis chose to ignore her. Why did it not surprise him that the entire scene with the mortal girl called Ariel was overseen by one of his sister's annoying Harvest Sprites? "It is nothing, sister," he said sternly, "The girl was simply lost, and making her squat behind a boulder was irrelevant."

In truth, Ignis had simply enjoyed the company of the woman. She was very flustered by his very appearance, and like most mortals who saw him, showed a balance of fear and awe at his very presence before them. But she also had a sort of…differentness, something that set her aside from others. She was short, with earthy-brown hair and warm matching eyes. She was dressed for the season, and seemed genuine.

"Of course it was," she smiled at him, walking up to him and patting his cheek, "Of course it was. And having the ability to see her true heart has nothing to do with this, correct?"

Ignis scowled at her, "What do you mean?"

"I saw the girl's heart as well as you," she informed him, "And I saw that she has a heart of gold. Truly a girl worth having forever, no?"

Ignis glared at Cefia, "There is plenty of mortal women with the same heart as her, and they prove to have the ability to mask the true nature of their souls, even from us."

Cefia frowned at her brother's negativity, "Why don't you get to know the girl?"

"Why must I?" he retorted.

"What could it hurt to at least socialize?" she asked.

Ignis let out a deep sigh as he sank down into his throne. He rubbed the bridge of his nose until finally he gave in, "Very well...but what makes you believe that this mortal will return too speak with me?"

"Oh, brother," Cefia chuckled, resting her finger-tips to her chin, "You do not know the lasting impression you leave on a woman's heart, do you?"

Ignis raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to question his sister, but she simply giggled and danced gracefully away.

---


	3. The Stone Thrones

3. The Stone Thrones

Nick suggested the hot-spring in the upper-mines for a nice day of R&R. He said she had been working too hard lately, and that it would be good for her to take a load of. As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad for a day to herself for once. It had been a while since she actually felt this good, she realized as she relaxed in the warm, soothing waters of the spring, in-hailing the warm steam. In contrast to the chill Fall air around her, the spring was nice and warm.

She cleaned herself and enjoyed the warmth against for a little longer until she realized how close it was getting to sunset. She realized she had been here almost two hours, and that was too long to be in hot water, despite how nice it was. It was bad for someone's health, and if she got sick or worse, no doubt Doctor Jin or Irene would lecture her good. As she dressed quickly before all the heat she had in her body escaped, a voice startled her.

"Why could you not use the hot-springs on your land?"

Ariel cried out and nearly fell into the hot spring again. She was caught by the arms by the intruding stranger, who pulled her back to her feet. Ariel felt her heart thudding hard in her chest as she looked at the interloper.

"Oh!" she gasped, realizing who it was. She bowed, "I-I'm sorry!! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to trespass again!! I won't come back!" she turned to hurry away.

"Wait a moment!" he called after her, grabbing her arm to stop her. When she looked back over her shoulder, he was looking at her sternly, "Why do you run? I didn't scold you for using the hot-spring. I simply asked you a question!"

She swallowed, "I...I...My cousin suggested this spring. He said it was best in the fall and winter. Our hot-spring..." she was stumped as to how to answer. Truthfully, Nick hadn't completely explained WHY the hot spring on the mountain was better than the one on the Ranch...she'd have to ask him about that later.

The god simply looked at her for a while, as if waiting for the answer. Ariel finally had to clear her throat, "I...I'm sorry."

For a while, he didn't say anything. He simply released her arm and made a sound like a grunt or a huff as he walked towards the stairs leading to the place she had first seen him. He stood at the foot of those steps, then turned back, "...would you like to join me to watch the sunset?" he asked.

Ariel jumped at the very idea. _Her_!? What the sunset with _him_!? It wasn't that it was not a nice thought but...he was a _god_, right? Why did he want _her_ to go with him?

"Well?" he said, sounding rather annoyed with her lack of response.

Ariel opened her mouth to say something, but her voice was gone. She only managed a nod and followed him up the steps. The two of them went to the platform, and with a side-ways wave of his hand, the ground shook. Startled, Ariel braced her legs out and watched as in the center of the platform, two stone seats, almost like thrones, appeared.

He took his seat, and indicated for her to join him. She swallowed and went over to the seat. She looked at it wearily, allowing herself to only sit on the edge before looking at the setting sun.

She expected this to be a similar time as to before, where they simply watched together, not talking at all. She hoped it would be that way, so it was easier for her to deal with the fact that she was sitting with the Harvest King and to concentrate on her breathing.

"You are not from this place," he stated simply after a brief silence.

Ariel felt her hopes drop. 'I didn't knock on wood...' she thought to herself, then cleared her throat and said in her best voice, "No, I'm here with my cousin."

"Who is...?" he pressed.

Ariel hesitated before answering, "Nicolas, your sister's husband."

That did it. She could feel his annoyance now. It was a little upsetting to know he was so petty as to be angry with her for being the relative of his sister's better-half. She felt her tongue loose its check, "If you want me to go, then I'll go," she said, standing up to leave, "I wouldn't want to cause you any distress."

As she started back towards the mines, he spoke, "You do not cause me discomfort," he said, "I simply do not care for your cousin's infatuation with my sister, nor do I care for her's for him."

That really didn't help anything, but she saw him rest his chin to his knuckles and sigh, "I don't wish for you to leave. Come and sit for a time with me."

Something about his voice...his tone...his expression...It made her feel like he was lonely. She felt her feet moving before her mind understood the actions, and she was sitting with him again. She wasn't sure why she came back, but she let out a breath through her nose and decided to stay for a little longer at the least.

For the next few moments, as the sun faded, they were silent. Until, that is, she tried to strike up a conversation with him. "So...uh...do you come here often?" 'LAME! _LAME_!!' the voice in her head screamed. It sounded like a pick-up-line. She mentally smacked herself in the head for even saying it.

She was shocked at his reaction. He was laughing. Well, chuckling. He still rested his chin to his knuckles, but he grinned as he said, "Recently, yes. In the past, I didn't come here often. This land was in my sister's care, and the ties it formally had to the heavens where we reside were broken. Because of your cousin, the ties were reconnected, and I am able to come and go as I wish from here once more."

This lead to Ariel asking more questions of him. She asked about where he lived, and he tried to describe it for her. It was like palace made of a forest, he told her, made of the earth, but not changing like it. There, it was like constant Spring, warm and bright in the day, crisp and clear at night. Everything was at peace, everything was frozen in time and always the same.

"Its sounds beautiful," Ariel said with a smile, trying to imagine what he described.

The god frowned, "Does it?" he said, "...to me, it's rather empty."

"Empty? Ariel answered, raising an eyebrow, "But...you said it was alive, like a forest. How can it be empty?"

The god sighed, "How indeed...?" he seemed to be seriously thinking about it, then he finally said, "Perhaps it's not. Maybe I have just grown bored of it."

"Bored of it?!" Ariel laughed, "How can you be bored of it? Isn't it your home? And Cefia's too?"

She gasped and covered her hands over her mouth, realizing that she had called the Harvest Goddess by her first name. When the god looked over at her, clearly confused at her reaction at first, but he chuckled, "You're not in any trouble for speaking my sister's name," he said, "I am actually surprised you even know it. Many mortals in these times have forgotten our names." He sat back in his chair. The sun had long ago faded, and now he was gazing up at the stars.

Ariel thought about asking him for his name, but thought that a rude thing to ask of a god. Instead, she followed his gaze up into the sky. "...do you actually live up in the sky?" she asked.

"No," he said, "My home is above a mountain. From there, I can see much, but not all. To do that, I must use magic, or go there myself."

Ariel nodded, leaning on the arm rest of her stone-chair. She yawned and kept staring at the stars, "...it must be very beautiful...the view from your palace..."

Her eyes sagged, until they finally closed. In her mind's eye, she could see a beautiful palace, bathed in warm, soft morning sunshine, with trees and vines and other beautiful plants. Birds sang spring-songs, flowers bloomed and the trees seemed to dance in the breeze. It looked like a sanctuary.

--

"You just _left _her there!?" Cefia scolded her brother when she learned what Ignis had done.

Ignis never looked up as he answered, "What else was I to do? She fell to sleep there." He was in the grand library, looking through the different volumes of his collections. The books where held up with shelves formed from thick vines wrapped around thin trees that lined the walls.

There were scattered sofas and lounge-chairs, along with a desk made out of oak-wood. The ceiling was a good four stories up, with books reaching to the top, and the roof was made of a dome of glass to let the sunlight in.

"You should've taken her home! The girl could catch her death in this whether!" Cefia snapped at him, "What am I to do with you, brother?" she sighed, shaking her head.

Ignis looked over his shoulder at his sister as she sat down in one of the lush chairs. He noticed she looked very tired, and a little worn. "Cefia," he said, closing the book to place it on his large desk, "Are you feeling alright?"

"No," she said, scowling at him, "I'm not. I'm exhausted, I'm in pain, and I can't believe you left my poor cousin-in-law alone on the mountain top all night!!"

Ignis raised an eyebrow, sighing as he went back to the desk, a stack of books on one side of it as he stood at the corner, looking at one of the volumes he hadn't previously noticed, "I do not see why this is such a matter with you. But, if it makes you rest easy, then I shall fetch her."

"Now?" Cefia raised an eyebrow, "But it's near dawn! What difference will it make now, since she is already been out all night!?"

"I will just return her to her home," he said, "And you will go rest now as well." He walked out of the room after replacing the book, "I will return shortly."

Cefia watched him leave, and shook her head. Then she felt a pain in her stomach and winced, rubbing it. "Oh, will you come soon?" she sighed, half begging, "I think you are quickly running out of room…"

--

Ariel woke up and felt her entire body ache. She rubbed her neck and groaned before sitting up, looking about. She was back at Nick's house, in the spare bed. She guessed Nick was already out working the fields and let her sleep in a little. She'd have to tell him that the mattresses were getting lumpy, that had to be the reason that she ached so much.

She kicked off the blankets and saw that she still wore her clothes from the night before, and as she stood up, a folded piece of paper fell to the floor. Her entire spine crackled and popped as she bent to pick it up, making her wince and grit her teeth before she flopped back on the bed to read it:

_'I will be at the mountain top again in four days. Meet me then if you wish.' _

There was no signature, but handwriting like that didn't need one. It _definitely_ wasn't Nick's! Her cousin had the worst chicken-scratch that she ever saw. Feeling her neck pains and back pains, Ariel let out a loud groan, "Ugh! I feel like I slept on a rock!!" she cried out.

Finally, she decided to use the hot-springs before getting to work today.

--

"Cefia?" Nick came into the house around noon to check on his wife, who had come home earlier to say she didn't feel well and took to the bed. "Cefia, how do you feel?" he asked as he came over to the bed to sit beside her.

Cefia let out a small sigh and opened her eyes to look at him, smiling faintly like she always did when she was sleepy, "I'm okay, Nicolas," she said gently, wrapping her thin fingers around his hand, "The baby keeps moving around is all, keeping me up."

"Sorry," Nick said, realizing he must have woken her from the sleep she finally was able to gain. He felt really guilty now, and said "Can I get you anything? Hungry? Thirsty?" he asked.

Cefia giggled at his concern and said, "You can give me a kiss."

Nick smiled and leaned over, kissing his wife's lips gently. She let out a satisfied hum before closing her eyes and snuggling deeper in the pillow, "I talked to my brother this morning."

"Really?" he grinned, "Did our plan work?"

"In a sense," she said, "I think they might've gotten a bit closer. Ignis seemed rather surprised and a little flustered when I first brought up that one of the Sprites saw the two of them together at the mountain last night." She grinned, remembering that actually, she had told the sprites to go and watch them and report back everything they saw.

Nick chuckled, knowing the truth as well, "Ariel asked me about the hot-springs. She asked what really was the difference between the one here and the one on the mountain."

"What did you say?" Cefia asked.

"Location," that got the both of them to laugh, and Nick lay down next to her. She cuddled closer to his chest, and fell asleep there with Nick stroking her hair. Even though they must've made the oddest couple in the word, this mortal man and beautiful goddess, they were also the happiest.

--

**A/N:** OMG!! –dies- I actually had to go back and fix all the parts with the Harvest Goddess because I didn't realize until I looked around more that she actually DOES have a name!! ARG!! I had been calling her "Gemini" for the entire rough-draft of this story, and when I learned that her real name was "Cefia", I nearly ripped out my hair! So, if the name "Gemini" appears anywhere in here, please feel free to bring it to my attention. I think I fixed all of them though…(maybe…O_O;)


	4. Birthday Celebrations

4. Birthday Celebrations

Ariel panted as she reached the top of the mountain again, "Sorry!" she called to the god, "I didn't mean to be late! Cefia's going to be having the baby any day now, so Doctor Jin and Irene came to see her!" she breathed hard as she bent over, hands rested on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

The god gave her time to catch her breath before asking, "How is my sister then?"

Ariel let out a breath before straightening before she spoke, "Hah, well, Irene said it would be soon. The baby's in the right position and stuff. So we'll have to watch for the other signs and be ready to help her if we can't get her to the clinic in time."

He nodded, and then he looked to the sky. The sun was already half gone behind the horizon, and it was getting dark. Ariel felt a tinge of regret that grew into outright guilt when she realized how long she had really taken. She actually got caught up talking with Doctor Jin, and because she was lost in their conversation, she didn't notice the time.

"I'm sorry," she said again, bowing her head in her shame, "I should've come sooner."

"There is nothing to apologize for," he said, turning to look at her again, "But I'm afraid I must cut our time short, for I have something important to attend to tonight."

Ariel blinked, looking at him, "Oh…okay," her emotions went from guilt to disappointment. She had started looking forward to these days when she and the Harvest God could come and talk, and even thought the night before of what she could strike up a conversation with, seeing as he normally wasn't the first one to talk.

"I will be busy for a while," he went on to tell her, "What with the changing of the seasons coming soon. So I will not be able to come here for a time."

More disappointment. Ariel held back her emotions and smiled brightly at him, "Well, okay then. I wish you luck." She smiled and waved to him as she hurried back down the stairs so she could make it home before it got to dark.

As she re-entered the mines though, she slowed down. She quickly changed her mind and ran back out to go back to the mountain top, but as she reached it (completely out of breath once again) she saw it was already empty. Her shoulders sank.

'Well…' she thought, turning and walking back down the stairs slowly so as not to fall from her lack of air, 'I guess telling him about my birthday can wait…'

--

"Ignis," Cefia sat up in the bed, seeing her brother in the room, "What are you doing here?" she asked, clearly surprised and a bit annoyed to see him.

Ignis frowned, "I did not know a brother needed a reason to see his sister."

Cefia sighed, running a hand through her already messy hair, "Well…of course you don't _need_ a reason…but you have never visited me here before. Has something happened?" she asked.

"No," Ignis said, moving to stand at her bedside, "I simply wanted to check on you. I heard that the mortal doctors came to see you today."

Cefia smiled, "Then you did get to see Ariel," she looked relived, "I was afraid that her staying here to long to watch over me would deprive you two of your time on the mountain."

Ignis tried not to appear annoyed by his sister's interest in his friendship with Ariel. Instead, he looked around the room. It was simple, with wood-walls and a lush rug, the bed was large and had dark blue and white sheets with plush pillows. In one corner of the room was a white cradle, set up for the child Cefia would soon bear.

"How soon do they predict the birth?" he finally asked, and dared to look at his sister's enlarged belly. She looked very disproportionate, with her slim body and then this large stomach, but she still managed to retain some of her normal beauty.

Cefia ran her hands along her stomach, looking at his lovingly, "Any day, they said. It could be tonight, tomorrow, or next week. It's all up to the baby."

Ignis grunted in response, and when his sister gave him a look that said she didn't appreciate his response, he said, "What of your husband? What does he think?"

"He simply wants a healthy child," Cefia said, though she seemed rather fed-up now with her brother's presence, "He hopes that the delivery is easy for the both of us, and we both come out just fine."

"There is no doubt that you will, sister," Ignis said to her matter-of-factly.

Cefia scowled at him and said, "His concern touches me. And even immortals can have trouble bearing children, Ignis."

Ignis didn't say anything, but he heard the door open down stairs. He didn't know if it was Nicolas or Ariel, but it didn't matter. He bent and kissed his sister's hair, "Sleep well, Cefia," he told her, and then took his leave.

Cefia glared where he once stood, and then sighed heavily, "Seeing me was not the only reason you were here, dear brother," she whispered harshly.

Then the door opened and Ariel came in, "Oh, you're up?" she said with a smile.

Cefia quickly brought herself out of her annoyance and smiled at the girl, "Yes, I just couldn't sleep. Would you mind getting me something to drink? I'm rather thirsty. Oh, and some watermelon, I am wanting something so badly!"

"I don't think we have any watermelon this time of year…" Ariel said, scratching her head.

Cefia scowled at her, and Ariel jumped, "Uh…but I'll go look for you, 'kay!?" she hurried out.

--

"ARIEL!! ARIEL, HELP!!" Nick's shouts made Ariel sit straight up in bed, scrambling so fast that she fell out, wrapped in the covers. "ARIEL!!" he continued to scream.

She pulled herself to her feet, kicking the covers from around her ankles to rush out of the room and to Nick's calls. She gasped as she came into the room to find Nick holding Cefia's hand as she shouted in her own pain.

"What's happened!?" Ariel demanded, going to Nick's side.

"She's in labor!" Nick said, "What do I do!?"

"What do you...?" Ariel glared at him, "You mean to tell me you have no idea what to do!?"

Nick looked at her helplessly, and Ariel rolled her eyes, "You could've done better, Cefia," she told the goddess, who was nodding in exhausted agreement with a strained grin.

Nick simply scowled at her, "Can we _PLEASE_ just...?" he indicated to Cefia as she squeezed tighter to Nick's hand, her face contorted with pain.

"Okay, okay," Ariel said, "Just...keep her calm. I'm going to get some water and towels!" Ariel was busily trying to gather everything and coach Nick at the same time with everything she remembered from her medical classes at High School.

It took almost three hours, but finally, it was done. "It's a boy!" announced Ariel after she gave the wailing babe a little cleaning. She put the baby into Cefia's arms, and the two new parents cooed over their son.

Ariel smiled as she watched them, rocking and taking turns holding him. Finally, Ariel felt she wasn't needed anymore, and walked out of the house. She didn't have anywhere else to go, so she went into the barn, where she was greeted by Nick's animals, who all seemed wide awake.

She went first to the old grey stallion that had been loyal to Nick since he first started the farm. The animal seemed very alert and upset over the sounds he heard coming from the house, and Ariel soothed him, "Its okay," she told the horse, "You just have a new little master. Don't worry."

The horse seemed to settle down, and soon all the other animals did as well. She was sitting on a stool used for milking near the barn-doors, and thought about the date the baby-boy was born. 'October the 20th,' she smiled, 'Five days before mine...that's kinda neat,' she grinned trying to imagine what would happen when he grew up. Maybe they could have a joined birthday party. After half an hour, all the animals were all asleep, and Ariel noticed how late it was. As she started back towards the house, she was surprised by a sound. She turned to see Jin, the town doctor, coming up.

"Oh," he seemed startled, but smiled, "Hello, Ariel."

"Hello Doctor Jin," she greeted, "What brings you here?"

"I was just coming on Nick's request. It would seem you have a new addition to your family?"

Ariel blinked a few times, and nodded, "Yes. In the house." She indicated to the door. The doctor smiled, then started towards the door. He paused though, turning back.

"Is everything alright, Ariel?" he asked.

She blinked, "What do you mean?"

"You seem...a little off lately."

"Off?" she raised an eyebrow, "Off how?"

Jin seemed to ponder this, then cleared his throat and said, "Normally, you're rather...well, cheery and thoughtful. But recently, you seem lethargic and a little...quiet. Is everything okay with you and Nick?"

'Everything's fine,' she thought to herself, 'Oh! Except for the fact that I'm running up the mountain to spend all night with the Harvest God!' she didn't say this out loud, but she smiled and said, "Fine. I guess I've just been working too hard."

Jin now looked genuinely concerned and said, "Take it easy for a while, okay? Don't overwork yourself."

Ariel smiled at him, "I will. Thanks, Doctor Jin."

Jin nodded, and went inside the house. She groaned and went towards the hot spring. She wanted a long soak, at least to help her relax a bit.

--

"Are you sure about this?" Nic asked Cefia.

"Of course I am! She'll love it!" Cefia answered from the bed. It was only a few days after she had their son, who they named "Victor" or just "Vic" for short, and she still stayed in bed mostly to recover. She only really moved to pick up baby Vic from his cradle to hold or nurse him, otherwise Nick made sure that she lacked for nothing.

"I still think giving her that pendant would've been fine…" Nick muttered, sighing at the memory of how Cefia shot his idea down and said that her's was much better.

"It's fine!" she said, "Now go call her in here so we can talk to her!"

Nick did as Cefia bid, and they both waited for Ariel to come in. "What's up, guys?" she said with a smile.

Both Nick and Cefia cheered, "Happy birthday!!" at the same time, making Ariel squawk and jump. They both laughed as Ariel put her hand over her heart, looking very frightened.

"Here," Nick said, "From both of us." He handed her a light blue envelope.

Ariel seemed confused, but opened it to find a card with a sparkly cover and a birthday cake with three candles on it. She opened it and the inside read:

'From us to you. We hope you find your happiness.'

It was signed 'Cefia and Nick' at the bottom, and when she looked at them, confused, Cefia rolled her eyes and said, "Look in the envelope."

She did, and saw another folded piece of paper. It was a document for some kind, and as she read it over, she realized it was a land-deed. "What is this about?" she asked them, raising an eyebrow.

"It was Cefia's idea," Nick said, "She thought you'd like your own place…so we bought you some land and paid for a house."

"WHAT!?!" Ariel nearly screamed, making Nick jump and Cefia laugh, "_Seriously!?!_" she said, her shock now replaced with excitement.

"The house won't be finished till mid-winter," Cefia laughed, "But you'll be able to go and live in it before next year. Nick and Dale worked out an agreement on some furniture and a chicken coop to start you out, but the rest is up to you, Ariel."

"OMIGOD!!" she hugged Nick tightly around the neck, nearly choking him, "Thank you so much!"

Nick forced a laugh through his constricted wind-pipe and patted her back, "Y-You're…welcome," he croaked. Ariel then realized she was nearly suffocating him and let go, starting a string of quick, loud apologies. Her embarrassment and annoyance at their laughter only made the scene more memorable.

Ariel hugged the deed close to her chest, 'My own home…'

--

**A/N:** WEEE!! Two chapters in one day! –smash head to keyboard- Well, here's yet another chapter! Mostly it was to get Ariel into her own house and introduce baby Vic! ^-^ "Nick" and "Vic", get it? It rhymes! XD ….maybe I'm just nuts. Okay, so if you didn't catch on, Ariel's birthday is "Fall 25th" in the game's ideals, and Vic was born on the 20th. I'm using normal months because I wanna. So there.

Anyway, enjoy the story!


	5. A Heart so Confused

5. A Heart so Confused

Winter came, and with it came new chores for Ariel. She was busy preparing to have her own farm, and with winter snow so thick on the ground, it looked like she wouldn't have any crops right away.

Her house would be finished in a few weeks, all that was left to do was the painting, and then it was set. It was two stories, much like Nick's except for the inside walls, which would be decorated with light blues and dark purples and some red. Ariel had picked the colors for Dale, Luke and Bo. It was intrusting to watch the three of them argue over who painted what room. It seemed like Luke wanted the biggest rooms for himself, which was funny, since he couldn't paint anything right and Dale would have to follow behind to fix it.

Another thing that was strange was Doctor Jin. He was visiting her more often, just to chat, she realized. At first, she thought nothing of it, until Thanksgiving came around.

"Hey," Maya nudged her in the ribs, making her jump and look over, "Looks like somebody's got you a present!" she said in a sing-song voice.

"Wha?" Ariel looked all around and noticed Jin waving as he came over with a smile. "Oh! Doctor Jin!" she smiled at him.

"Good morning, ladies," he said in a kind of unsure voice, which was very unlike him. Then, he offered her a wrapped box, "For you, Ariel. Happy Thanksgiving."

Ariel was surprised and took it. Opening it, she found a shortcake inside, beautiful decorated with white frosting and strawberries, "Oh!" she gasped, "How wonderful! Thank you!" she smiled at him.

Jin blushed at that, but tried to hide it by clearing his throat into his fist, "Well...I have to get back to work," he said goodbye with a slight bow and left them there.

"Ooooh," Maya shook Ariel's shoulder, "That looks really yummy! He must REALLY like you!"

Ariel blinked a few times, then looked at the cake. 'Yeah...' she thought...then looked at the clinic building, a bit confused about her own feelings.

--

Ignis felt annoyance and anger in his chest as he watched from afar. Winter had come, and with it the Thanksgiving festival. He watched Ariel go through the town with Nick. Four men came up to her and offered her the traditional gift of a cake.

One of which she seemed very happy to receive it from was the Doctor, and he seemed thrilled that she accepted it.

"It's no use just glaring at them, brother," Cefia giggled from behind him, making him turn to scowl at her. She carried her infant son in her arms, the boy cooing and touching his mother's hair and neck, "If you want to steal her, steal her. But move quickly," she grinned, raising a finger at him, "She is becoming quite the catch amongst the men. I have heard that Jin especially has his eye on her."

Ignis glared at his sister, but she simply shoved the child into his arms. He fumbled to grasp the child without dropping him, and finally was able to hold him to a position that imitated how he had seen others hold babies.

The boy had the soft blue hair of his mother, and was so small in his arms. "Boy," Cefia said, stretching her arms above her head, "I didn't know being a mother was such hard work!" she rubbed her neck and smiled, "Baby Vic is a handful, just like his Daddy."

Ignis was careful with holding the child, but the little thing squirmed and looked like he was working up a cry. Quickly, Ignis gave him back to his mother just as he started to wail.

"Aww," cooed Cefia, "Hush little one, shh...Uncle Ignis isn't going to hurt you. Hush now, hush..." The baby soon quieted in his mother's arms.

"What is it that mortals call such children?" Ignis thought, "A 'mama's boy', was it?" he grinned as his sister scowled up at him.

"Oh, shut up, Ignis!" she snapped at him, making him laugh. She turned on her heals and left in a huff.

Ignis went back to watching Ariel with the people of the town. Loaded down with three cakes, she started back towards home. But to his surprise, she stopped and gave out the cakes. One, she gave to the cooking-girl, another to the woman who ran the General store, and the last one, she gave to the old woman who made accessories out of gem-stones.

This made Ignis relax a bit, to know that she wasn't truly accepting the gifts of her suitors. She went with Nick back to the farm to work, and Ignis decided he had procrastinated with his works long enough, and returned to his palace.

--

Ariel rushed up to the top of the mountain and too the Harvest God's platform. There, she found him waiting, standing there very still watching her approach.

She smiled. For half of the fall season and now the beginning of winter, they had been meeting here just before sundown. They would simply talk for a time (how much would depending on anything the two of them had planned) and they would watch the sun set.

"Good evening, Ariel," he greeted her with a slight smile.

She smiled back, "Good evening," she answered, then held up a basket she carried, "I brought something for us to eat tonight. I hope you like cake!"

She saw him raise an eyebrow, so she smiled at placed the basket on a mostly flat rock to open it up. She pulled out a short-cake she made herself and held it out to him, "Happy Thanksgiving!" she said with a big smile.

He appeared startled at first, then serious, "Why do you give me this?" he asked.

She frowned, "Well...it's the Thanksgiving festival. It's a tradition to give a cake to your friends. So..." she still held it out for him, "I made this one for you."

The god looked hesitantly at the cake, but slowly he took it from here. "...thank you," he finally said, but seemed troubled.

"What's the matter?" she asked him.

"...I have nothing for you in return," he answered.

She burst out laughing, "You don't need to give me anything!" she said, "It's a gift from me to you! As friends!"

There was a moment of completely silence. She had overcome her earlier fear of looking the god in the face, but she was still reluctant to look at his eyes. Not because she was still afraid of his anger at the disrespect, but because...whenever she did, she got lost in them. Like she had now.

She realized what she was doing and quickly turned away, "Ahem...well," she pulled out a second cake and two forks, holding one out for him, "Let's eat!"

The god made the two stone chairs appear again, and they sat together to eat. This time, Ariel told the god about herself, like she had been for a few weeks now. She explained that Nick was her father's brother's son, and that the two of them practically grew up together. Both always loved the land and nature, though Nick was always more of the farmer while Ariel loved the animals more.

Also, she liked the old stories, fairy tales with their happy endings and morals. She enjoyed the ideas of knights and princesses in distress, and even tried to make a joke.

"I believe in dragons, good men, and other fantasy creatures!" she laughed.

But her humor was wasted on the god, for he simply stared at her with a confused expression. For the longest while, it would seem that their conversations were starting to run dry. Ariel normally was the one to start things up, but she was running out of things to talk about. Everything she tried to get a reaction too ended up either puzzling him or not getting much of a response at all.

When there was silence between them for a time, she thought it was best for her to get ready to leave.

"...Ariel," he said, making Ariel look up from her empty plate, "You are moving into your own home, correct?"

Ariel was surprised he knew about. "Uh...yeah, soon," she said with a smile, "Nick and Cefia got it for me. They wanted me to have my own home, since they knew I didn't want to stay with them for the rest of my life."

He frowned at that, and let out a thoughtful "hmmm". Another silent pause...

"Do you plan on inviting that Doctor to live with you?"

Ariel felt the plate slip from her hand and clatter to the ground, the fork with it. She stared, unblinking, at the god. He was looking at her now to, staring with the same, emotionless expression she always saw.

But...it wasn't emotionless. She had been coming to see him so often now that she was startling to learn his behaviors. He acted emotionless, he acted strong...but really he wasn't. Well, in a sense. The way his eyes were, the way he spoke, if you looked and listened enough, you could see it.

She grinned suddenly and said, "You're _jealous_!!"

The god seemed taken aback, then looked away, "I am most certainly _not_ jealous."

"You _are_ jealous!" she said, then started to laugh. Not at him, but at the idea of her and Jin being together. Jin was a good guy, handsome and all, but she didn't feel any spark between them. It wasn't like--

Ariel stopped. Like what? What was it not like? "Hmm...Well," she smiled softly, thinking aloud, "Jin is smart...and nice. He's a good doctor, and he's handsome. He's awkward in a cute kinda way," she giggled, "And he'd make a really good husband, I suppose."

She frowned, trying to image it. Jin as her husband...Jin as the father of her kids...for some reason, it didn't hold any appeal to her. It kinda made her feel awkward herself, like thinking it was wrong. But why?

Suddenly, the god stood up. Ariel jolted to attention at the realization that he was moving. He started to walk towards the edge of the platform, and Ariel knew he was trying to leave.

"W-Wait!" she cried, getting up and hurrying over to him, "Don't go! Please don't go!" she grabbed onto his arm, "Please stay!" she cried.

The god looked back at her, surprised. 'Why am I...?' she blinked, 'Why am I so afraid of him leaving? It's like...like I think he'll never come back again...'

The god scowled down at her, and gently pulled his arm free, "Have things to attend to," he stated, "...thank you for the food. Go enjoy time with the Doctor if you must have company," with that, he disappeared.

Ariel felt her heart begin to hurt. She sank down to her knees there as she realized something. "I love him..." she whispered, "...I love him...I love the Harvest God..."

--

Nick walked down the road, whistling a tune as he went. It was after dark, and he was returning with his axe over his shoulder from working at Dale's for the entire day. It was the agreement they worked out. If he helped to build and then worked for free at the carpentry, then Ariel's house would only be half-price to build. It worked out great, though Nick knew he could afford the full price.

Still, he was good friends with Luke and Bo, so working with them was a blast. All and all, it was a good day for him.

As he walked further down the road, closer to the house, he noticed Ariel. She seemed out of it as she walked towards the door, and he knew her well enough to know the look she had on her face.

Concern washed over him, "Ariel?" she stopped when she heard her name being called and Nick hurried over to her, "Hey...what's wrong?" he looked at her face in the light coming from the windows, and saw that her eyes were bloodshot, "Have you been _crying_?" he said, reaching up to touch under her eye.

Ariel's bottom lip trembled, and she dropped her face into her hands, "God, Nick! I don't know what to do!" she sobbed.

"Hey," he dropped his axe carefully into the snow and put his hands on her shoulders, "Hey, hey! What's the matter? What happened?" he asked softly, trying to be comforting.

"I-I think I just screwed everything up!" she sniffled, "I think I chased him off!"

Nick narrowed his eyes, "Chased who off?" he asked.

But she didn't answer, she simply wrapped her arms around him and cried into his chest. Nick, a bit startled, didn't know what to do. His arms hung around her, hovering, until finally he patted her back as a way of comfort. He couldn't do anything more, he realized, so he just let her cry for a while before leading her back into the house

--

It was late when Nick came down stairs again. Ariel had fallen into a deep sleep after Cefia and him and talked into going to her room to rest. Cefia said that she was just confused (since she was the only one Ariel would tell the whole story too) and that it was something she had to work out herself.

He was going down to get some water for himself to drink around midnight or later. As he turned on the light, he jumped, seeing who stood in the middle of the living room.

Ignis. He stood there, scowling at Nick, with his arms crossed. He hadn't seen this expression since he learned that Cefia and him were engaged.

Nick glared back, "What are you doing here?"

"Sharp words from a mortal's tongue," Ignis said, his voice very commanding, "Sit down."

Nick walked over and stood with a good distance between them, but looked just as defiant as Ignis did. "I will not be ordered around here, in my own house, Ignis. Even by you."

Ignis gritted his teeth and snarled at Nick, "I have tolerated you. I have allowed you to wed my sister and let her bear you a son. Now you will answer my questions, for it is the least you owe me."

Nick scowled, "What kind of questions?"

Ignis was quiet for a time, as if thinking of them, before he said, "Why is Ariel upset?"

Nick scoffed, "I don't know," he put his hands on his hips, "You tell me. I have this sinking feeling it's your fault."

Ignis' expression faltered for a moment, but then returned to its earlier stern look, "What are you implying?"

"I'm saying that YOU hurt my cousin," he snapped, pointing a finger at him, "That YOU caused her to come here crying. You did something to her, I don't know WHAT, but SOMETHING!"

"Are you trying to accuse me of harming Ariel?" Ignis' voice was rising slowly, and he was starting to look angrier and angrier.

Nick didn't back down, "I'm not _accusing_ you, I'm saying you _did_! You caused her to hurt, Ariel's not as tough as she tries to be. I know, we grew up together," he leaned in closer to Ignis, staring him straight in the eye, "She's more like a little sister to me that a cousin, you realize. And I'll do whatever I have to do to protect her, even from _you_, Ignis."

Ignis, for a moment, looked like Nick had just stabbed him in the chest. Then, he looked furious, "How _DARE_ you say such things to me, you foolish man!" he bellowed.

"I should've never agreed to this," Nick said sternly, "I should've never let Cefia talk me into it. Letting Ariel get close to you was my mistake."

Nick only realized that Ignis was going to strike him with his fist when the contact was made. His head jerked around, and then he felt the sensation of being hit by a full grown, full speed charging bull in the chest as he was knocked backwards and rammed hard into the wall.

"_NICK_!!" Cefia came flying down the stairs, her night-gown flowing around her legs. She knelt beside him and helped him to sit up as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, gasping for breath.

Cefia glared in Ignis' direction. The god stood there, surrounded by a flaming aura that reflected his rage. His hand was raised, open palmed, as proof of the power he had used to inflict the blow on Nick that knocked him away.

"Ignis--" Cefia began in a stern voice, but the god didn't pay her any attention. He turned and disappeared in a flash of red light.

Cefia's face burned with anger and annoyance at her brother. She looked at Nick, and is was apparent that she too had heard every word he told to Ignis. Nick's left cheek was already swelling and turning colors, Ignis had clearly shattered the bone under his skin, and his eye was slowly closing as more blood fell from not only his mouth, but his noise.

He stared at it for a while, seeing the disappointment and concern on her face. He let out a heavy sigh, "...I'm sorry. I may have just ruined your match-making plans."

Cefia realized she couldn't be all that angry with her husband. He was defending his family, after all. In his position, she would've done the same thing...maybe.

Her delicate hand floated over and lay over his injured cheek. With a soft glow and soothing warmth, she healed the wound and bone, then gently cupped his face to bring him closer and kiss his lips. She smiled at him, "...I'm sure it'll all turn out alright in the end, my love."

--


	6. A Sister's Guidance

6. A Sister's Guidance

For days, horrible blizzards and snowstorms raged. The ground was covered in so much snow that it blocked the doors. No one could go outside, and no once could see and end to it. It was a phenomion like no one had seen before.

Almost an entire week without seeing the sun, only raging skies and relentless winds that refused to let anything grow or live. Ceifa watched the mortal people, helpless to stop any of this, and felt anger rise in her chest.

She went to the palace where she knew her brother was, storming through the halls. "IGNIS!!" she bellowed, calling his name, "IGNIS! GET OUT HERE NOW!!"

She found him in one of the upper towers on a balcony, leaning over it with his hands braced on the stone-wall, looking down at the clouds that surrounded the word. From this high, he could only see the tops of the angry clouds and the flashes of the lightening they produced along with the faint growl of thunder.

Cefia stopped just behind him, "This is childish, Ignis!" she snapped at him, "Why do you sit here and fume, making the world bellow suffer?"

Ignis was silent to his sister, keeping his back to her, never flinching.

"This season is already hard on the mortals as it is," Cefia stated, "Why make it harder for them by sending ceasless storms? I understand what you're feeling, brother, but you can't simply whipe out the entire world because you feel this pain!"

Ignis still didn't acknoledge his sister. This made her even more irritated until she finally snapped, "Why do you deny it, brother!? Why don't you tell her how you feel!? Why don't you tell her that your heart aches for her, yearns to the point of breaking for her to know you!?"

"What good would come of it?" Ignis' voice was empty, Cefia never knew it to be so cruel. Even when he was angry, she had never heard it in such a way. It scent chills down her spine. "If her heart holds that man in it, what good would come of me telling her how I feel?"

"What good will come of keeping it locked away inside?" Cefia said, her voice now soft in comfort, "What good would come of you sending these storms to the world? All you will succeed in doing is causing more greif, Ignis."

Ignis shifted his weight so he leaned to the right, then finally straightened and turned so that his left hand fell from the wall, "...why, sister? What have I done to earn these pains? What have I done to make whatever unseen force that condems me to this fate hate me so much?"

Cefia saw, for a brief moment, the younger brother she knew. She went up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder as he hung his head. "…Ignis, it's not too late. Ariel can still be won."

He scowled, "You are sending me on a fool's errand, Cefia. Her heart is not mine to take."

Cefia frowned, "So you will give her up?"

"What choice to I have?" Ignis said, "I do not want to cause her anymore pain, I am the cause of it, as Nicolas said."

Cefia didn't like to hear her brother talk in such ways. It was not in his nature to be so cold and dejected. "What good is a god who gives up?" she said sternly, "If the creators of this planet had given up when they hit the first opstical, then where would we be? Where would the world we guard be?"

Ignis didn't move or say anything.

Cefia hated being ignored, "Don't you remember that woman? How did you feel when you lost her?"

Ignis' hands clenched tight into fists again. Cefia broke a small smile, "What you feel now...Ariel shares. What you had with that woman never truely happened. You loved her from afar, but Ariel you can love with all your heart," she reached up and put her hands on his cheeks, "Ariel has already fallen for you, brother. What she wants...what she needs, is someone to show her that she wasn't wrong to do that."

Ignis looked at his sister, "...are you telling me to love this woman?" he asked.

Cefia's smile became knowing and smirk, "I don't have to tell you, Ignis. You already do."

--

New Years was coming. Ariel was in her own house now, and loved it. It was about the same size and build as Nick and Cefia's house, and was right down the way from them as well. It was a nice place, well designed and furnished, thanks to Nick and Dale and some of Ariel's own touches.

Her coop had three chickens and two ducks, and Cefia gave her a pet, a border-collie that she named Shadow. The dog was a nice companion, and with a Barn being built and spring just around the corner, it wouldn't be long before Ariel had her own farm up and running.

But it didn't help her mood at all to know that soon she'd be able to be completely on her own.

She hadn't seen or heard from the Harvest God since that night at the mountain top. She knew Nick about the argument he and Nick had that night, and knew that the week and a half of endless snow and howling winds was from his anger because of it. He was upset with her.

She sat by her fire-place with hot-coco in her lap, wrapped in a blue wool blanket, and stared blankly in the fire as she thought about everything.

The Harvest God wasn't her first love. She had a boyfriend once before, even one she considered marrying. But she realized, looking back, that really all of it was more or less just teenage romances. She wasn't much older than a teenager now, of course, but it was the principle of the thing. She had never felt in her heart what she felt for the Harvest God before.

Shadow whined at Ariel's feet, and his head perked up, looking at the door. It was night outside, and what was probably the last snow-fall of the year was falling in a soft drift.

"What is it?" she asked the dog. There was a knock at the door, and Shadow let out a bark.

Ariel hushed the dog and got up, placing down her cup on the coffee table and leaving her blanket behind. When she cracked the door open, she was surprised. "Doctor Jin!"

Jin smiled at her, holding up something, "I thought you might want something warm to drink."

"Oh!" she recognized the smell of herbal tea, and smiled, "Well, thanks but..." she thought about her pot of hot coco, but shook her head, "Oh, never mind. Come in, come in." She stepped aside and let the Doctor enter her house.

He shrugged out of his coat after she took the pot that was wrapped in a knitted holder, going into the kitchen to poor two cups (after discreetly dumping her cup of coco and the pot along with it). "Make yourself comfortable," she called to him as she fixed the tea.

"Thank you," Jin said, sitting down on the couch. Shadow made no move to go near Jin, he simply lay against the couch where he had been to warm Ariel's toes, watching Jin.

Ariel brought in the two cups and gave Jin one. He thanked her with a smile, and she sat down beside him on the couch, "What brings you here so late?" she asked him, blowing on her hot drink.

Jin did as well before taking a sip, "I heard that your house was finished, and wanted to bring a house-warming gift," he raised the cup, "It's warm at the least."

Ariel giggled at the joke, "Yeah, good and warm. Nice to have on a night like tonight."

They talked for a little while, mostly about the clinic and Jin would constantly laugh about Anissa, Craig and Ruth's daughter. He would talk about how she was so worrisome and yet so prone to overworking herself.

Then, the conversation suddenly turned to her, "You've been hear almost a year," he said to her, "...you haven't ever considered settling down?"

Ariel felt the cup nearly fall out of her hands. Her heart beat hard on her ribs and her lungs felt overinflated. 'Was this what Nick felt when I asked him that question!?' she wondered.

She cleared her throat, "W-Well...I...uh...thought about it."

Jin seemed to straighten a bit, like a peacock showing off, and as she looked, Ariel noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She tried to make looking discrete, but her mouth opened slightly at was she saw. Standing by the door was the Harvest God, and he was scowling right at Jin.

He raised his hand, palm open, at the Doctor, and she saw an aura of red engulf it. She jumped to her feet shouting, "NO!" spilling the tea on her rug. Shadow jumped up with a yelp and ran up stairs and Jin jolted, nearly spilling his own tea.

"I-I beg your pardon?" Jin said, looking at her, shocked.

"I-I-I mean..." Ariel reached up and put her hands in her hair, trying to think of something to say, "Uh..." she kept glancing at the God, who was watching her, looking very annoyed that she had stopped him. She swallowed, and finally said, "I-I think you should go, Jin."

Jin looked at her, eyes narrowed with concern, "Are you alright, Ariel?" he stood up, putting a hand to her brow, then her cheek, "You're rather pale...and warm. Are you ill?"

"N-No I just--" to her surprise, Jin slowly began to lean forward, as if to kiss her. She was inching backwards, feeling very uncomfortable, not knowing what to do at all. Her eyes darted over to the God, and her breath caught as she saw he was fuming again as he started towards them.

Ariel's breath caught and she put her hands on Jin's shoulders, pushing him away, "Y-You have to leave!" she snapped, "Now!"

Jin looked flustered and shocked, and swallowed hard before his cheeks turned red. He turned and said, "Right...well, goodnight then Ariel," he sounded a little disappointed and angry at the same time, "Sorry to have bothered you. Keep the kettle." He put on his coat and was out the door, shutting it hard, but not slamming it.

Ariel let out a sigh of relief after he was gone. Then she looked around. The Harvest God was nowhere in sight, and she started to panic, thinking he might've followed Jin out.

"I dislike him being so close to you," Ariel jumped at his voice and spun around to see him sitting in one of the arm-chairs that was sitting at an angle with the large couch. He had one hand rested on the arm-rest, much like a King in a throne, and the other reached down to pet Shadow's head as he watched Ariel with stern eyes.

Ariel scowled at him, "He was just being polite."

The god scoffed, bring his hand up to rest his cheek against his knuckles with a grin, "Polite is not what he was doing, my dear. He was trying to seduce you."

Ariel bit her lip and then snapped, "What's with you all of a sudden?! I haven't seen or heard from you for weeks, and now you show back up to chase off--"

"I never left you," the god announced, looking at the dog, "I simply didn't show myself to you until now. That mortal was irritating me. I thought to teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget, but you stopped me."

"Of _COURSE_ I stopped you!" Ariel snapped, "Jin wasn't doing--" she stopped midsentence, "...what did you say?"

He looked at her, as if he didn't understand what she meant.

"You...what do you mean you didn't leave?" Ariel asked.

"I said that I never left you," he said, "I was always here. Well," he sighed, putting both his hands in his lap, "Not always, of course. For the most part, I was away. But more recently, I was here. I came often to see you."

"...why?" Ariel didn't know whether to be flattered or frightened that he had been watching over her. Flatter because he cared enough to come see her, frightened because she was wondering what he was _seeing_.

Of course, she didn't see him as the "peeping-Tom" kind of person, but it was the principle of the thing.

He took a moment to answer, "Because I was concerned for you," he said, "In all my years, and there have been many, no one has..." he seemed to struggle for the right words, "Has made me the way I am now." He seemed unsatisfied with that answer, and put a hand to his chin to think, "...how do I say such things?" he wondered aloud.

Ariel watched him try to think, then couldn't help but giggle. Her giggle turned into a chuckle, then into a laugh. She laughed hard, and then laughed some more.

"What is so funny?" he finally asked, sounding irritated.

"I just realized," she said, finally able to compose herself, "That you're really cute when you look like that."

He frowned, confused and said, "Like what?"

She giggled again, covering her mouth, "Like _that_," she said, "When you're confused, and for the simplest things!" she smiled and then laughed again.

She realized that her laughing at him aggravated him, so she bit on her lip and smiled. Then she went over and said, "It's okay. I understand and," she leaned down so that their faces where only a hand's width away from each other, "You've changed my life too."

He seemed to think about her words for a moment, then he reached up to touch her cheek. For a brief moment, Ariel felt a kind of spark travel from his touch down into her stomach before making its way into her chest, circling around in there like a fluttering bird that made her heart quicken.

She thought that he was going to kiss her, but instead, he pulled her to him. Her head rested on his chest like it had when she had cried on the mountain top, and he slowly slid his arms around her back loosely, hugging her.

She smiled. 'This works too,' she decided, and put her arms under his shoulders to hug him back, snuggling into his chest. He held her tighter now, as if afraid she'd fall away from him. She felt his chin rest against her head and he let out a kind of satisfied sigh.

She smiled and closed her eyes. He was incredibly warm, his heat reminded her of Spring sunshine. But he smelled more like autumn to her...or late summer, when it wasn't too hot or humid outside.

She fell asleep there, in his arms, in his warmth, and dreamed of a green, sun-bathed meadow where the two of them sat together, laughing, though she didn't know what for or about. It was just nice to laugh.

--

**A/N:** Okay, so this one was actually written in NotePad, so any incrediably noticable errors might be because of that. ^-^; I did my best to fix them, but I'm really no good as stuff like that. Forgive me if there is any, I'll come back and re-check this chapter as soon as I possibly can, I promise!!

Thanks for reading!!

~Alma Theresa


	7. The Proposal

7. The Proposal

"Congratulations!" everyone in the Inn clapped at the announcement, including Nick and Ariel.

Calvin and Phoebe blushed and seemed a little flustered. Owen came up and clapped Calvin on the shoulder, raising his beer to him. The two men clanged their mugs and drank to the engagement.

Kathy scowled at her husband, but said nothing as she went up to hug Phoebe. Luke asked Hayden for another round of beer on him, and Dale nearly smacked him for even suggesting that, because everyone knew that it would be DALE who paid the tab.

Still, everyone was in a cheery mood. Beside Nick, there were only two recent marriages in town. Kathy and Owen had been the first, and during the past summer, Gil and Luna. Luna was already expecting a child, and everyone was looking forward to having another kid on the block to play with Vic.

Phoebe and Calvin were always hanging on each other. Ariel smiled, her hands wrapped around the cool, tall glass of beer she had, "They really do love each other..."

Nick smiled, leaning back in his chair next to Ariel, one leg rested on the other knee, "Yeah," he said, looking at them with a knowing look, then looking back over at Ariel. He gently pushed her with his elbow, "It'll happen for you too, Ari. Just wait."

Ariel chuckled at the use of her old nic-name. "Well," she said with a groan, "I hope it's soon."

"Why?" Nick tilted his head.

Ariel thought for a moment. When she didn't get an answer, she shrugged, "Dunno" she admitted, then leaned back like her cousin was and laughed, "I guess it would just be nice to know what everyone else seems too."

Nick looked at her with a blank gaze for a while. Then, in a shock to everyone, he stood up on the table with a big grin and raised his glass, shouting, "TOO THE HAPPY COUPLE!! DRINK UP!! I'M PAYING TONIGHT!!"

All the men cheered him on, while the women just laughed and shook their heads. Glasses clanged and people drank until they were swaying. Ariel stayed relatively sober so she could insure that Nick got home.

But all the while, even when she was helping Nick stagger home, she was thinking about what it would be like to get married. She imaged herself trying on dresses and such, but only shook them out of her head.

Only a few months past, she learned she was in love, not she was thinking about marriage. She giggled at herself, 'Don't rush into things, Ariel,' she said, 'Dad said that would be the end of you.'

After Nick was returned to the safety of his own home, Ariel went to her's. Once she was inside, she was greeted by Shadow, who put his paws on her chest and licked her nose.

She laughed, "Thanks, boy," she said, pushing him off before walking inside. Though it was Spring, it was till a bit cold outside. She shrugged out of her jacket and sighed, starting up stairs to bed.

As she made her way up to the third step, she saw a flash out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see the Harvest God on her couch, Shadow trotting to his side like a summoned, trained pet should. He sat down and the god stroked his head for a moment before looking up at Ariel.

"You seem tired," she said, seeing how he leaned into the couch and how his eyes seemed duller than normal, less alive.

He chuckled, "Do you think changing the seasons is a simple task?" he asked her, "...I have been very busy lately."

Ariel smiled slightly and walked back down the stairs, "Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

"No," he said simply.

"Drink?" she asked

"No," he said again.

She frowned, having just entered the kitchen and opened her fridge. With a groan she closed it again and walked out, putting her hands on her hips and scowling at him.

When he looked up at her, he was looking back at her with the same expression. They stared for a long while, eyes locked and neither blinking. Many minutes past before Ariel's eyes got to blurry and itchy to keep open anymore, so she blinked and rubbed them, "Ah!" she said, "That hurts!"

She heard a deep throated chuckle and then a laugh. She blinked and squinted and blinked some more before she could see even slightly well enough to see that the Harvest God was laughing, his head leaned over the back of the couch as he laughed hard.

She felt blush rise into her cheeks. She had never heard him laugh like that before, nor look so...handsome before. Seeing him look like that, seeming him laugh like that, it was clear he didn't do it often.

She smiled when he finally got control of himself, and looked at her. He raised a hand to her with a genuine smile on his face, another thing she had never seen before. Blushing, she nearly skipped over to him and flopped onto the couch next to him, snuggling up to his chest while he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her there.

She gripped his robes like a child with a blanket, which he rewarded with another chuckle. She felt her heart flutter and her chest grow warm. She liked that...

She closed her eyes and sighed. She was half asleep when he said something, she didn't know what. But her answer was simply to let out a small "hmm" and grip tighter to his robe. 'I love you...' she thought.

--

Ignis had been rather tired, but he didn't think he'd fall asleep there, sitting on Ariel's couch. When the morning light woke up, he looked out and cursed. It was snowing. Lightly, yes, but still it was snowing in the Spring!

Of course it was quite possible, since it was still early Spring yet, as it was not yet April, but he had been working to make sure that the snow would stay away again. This meant that, for lack of a better term, he'd be back to square one again.

He was about to stand and leave when he felt something on his side. His head snapped down, looking at the head of brown hair and feeling her hand tighten on his robes as she snuggled up to him. She let out a sleepy sigh, her body relaxed against his as she slept soundly.

His nose wrinkled when he noticed she had drooled slightly on his leg. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head and leaning back. Her head was on his thigh, using him as her pillow, with his hand rested on her upper arm. She looked so peaceful in her dreams, so serene. 'What could you dream of?' he wondered.

His expression softened as she muttered something in her sleep, but didn't stir past that. He hesitated, but gently touched a lock of her hair with his finger tips. He tucked it behind her ear to reveal her face, and leaned his head back. Soon, his eyes were closing again, and he was drifting off to sleep once more.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, but when he realized he had dozed off, he jerked awake. He found that she was still asleep, and the snow was getting heavier outside. "Damnation," he grumbled, running his hand down his face.

He looked at Ariel, trying to think of a way to leave without waking her. He took one of her throw-pillows and slowly slipped out from under her head, then replaced his leg with the pillow.

As he stood over her, turning to go, she muttered something that made him freeze, "...love you..."

He looked back over his shoulder and saw that she was still asleep, but her mouth was drawn into a small smile. As soon as it was there, it was gone back to the dream-face he was found of.

He turned back to her, watching her, waiting...for what he didn't know. After some time, he frowned, and looked down. Then, he was engulfed in his red-aura and disappeared.

--

Ariel's eyes snapped open and she gasped, sitting up on her hands quickly. She looked around, but saw her house was empty. Outside, a bird chirped, and she saw some sparse piles of snow.

"...I guess he left," she said, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head with a yawn. As she did, she saw something zoom past her house.

Startled, she got up and went to the door. She opened it and stepped out side, regretting not putting on some shoes as she saw the mud and slushy-snow under her feet that made them freeze.

With her hands tucked under her arms, she looked up into the blue, clear, sunny sky.

A bird circled, singing the merriest of tunes, spinning a few times before flying off. It was a brilliant blue color, more so than even the sky or the sea. It was beyond magnificent to watch as it sailed away.

"Oh, Ariel!"

Ariel turned and saw Mira coming up the hill. "Mira," Ariel said, "What are you doing here so early?" she asked, truly surprised to see her.

Mira smiled, looking up at the sky, shading her eyes with her hand, "I was following that blue bird," she told her.

Ariel looked up where Mira was gazing, but the bird was long gone. She looked back, "Why?"

Mira looked at Ariel, surprised, but then smiled, "Don't you know the tradition of the Blue Feather?"

--

Cefia came to the palace on Ignis' summons. She found him in the far garden that over looked the cliff-side. It was the most peaceful, and one of her favorites.

There was only a few, young trees and tall green grass. It was bathed in the softest of light, and a brook ran right from a small hole-waterfall in the ivy covered wall to fall over side of the cliff and disappear into the clouds bellow, blocking the view of wherever the water was going.

Ignis stood at the edge of the garden near the drop-off, seeming lost in thought as he gazed across the meadow of clouds beyond. Cefia didn't say anything, simply wandered slowly into the garden and eventually went to the deep basin where the water collected. There were a few fish and a couple lily-pads, but nothing more.

She knelt down beside it and let her fingers touch the water's top, and the colorful fish swam right up to gaze at her. She smiled as she dipped her index finger under the surface to stroke one of the fish's scales.

After the quiet was too much for her to bear, Cefia said "You summoned me?"

Ignis, who no doubt always knew his sister was there, bowed his head and sighed, "Yes."

"Why do you need me?" she asked, looking up at her brother as she slowly rose to her full height again.

There was a pause before he looked to her, "...I want to take Ariel for my wife."

Cefia's eyes widened, and her mouth opened and closed. Ignis' expression remained soft and a little unsure as he watched his sister. Finally, Cefia pressed her lips together in a hard line and tried to think of how to answer him.

"…why?" she asked him.

Ignis scowled now, "Do I have to say it?"

"Yes," Cefia snapped, "Yes you do, Ignis. Because I will _not_ see you make this decision lightly," she walked up to her brother, "If you do this, then you have to think long and hard about it. Marrying a mortal is not simple. They have rules, and we have rules as well."

Ignis chuckled at her, giving her a knowing smirk, "All of which you have broken yourself."

"Ignis," Cefia shook her head, "You have to understand what you are saying. Ariel is a mortal woman, and you loved one before. You know what happens to mortals," she said, "They are fragile."

"You gave your Nicolas the gift of immortality," Ignis pointed out, "What makes you think I cannot do the same for Ariel?"

" Giving mortals immortality is not something you can do lightly!" Cefia snapped at him, "Even _you_ should know the risks that come with it the benefits!" Cefia crossed her arms, "You should know that even Nicolas is vulnerable."

Ignis didn't seemed fazed at all, "I realize this as well. I studied the magics that would have to be used for the spell."

"You think that _everything_ can be solved by studying!?" she stepped forward, "Ignis, even if she will _live_ as long as you, mortals can never become _gods_! She will still be _defenseless_!"

Ignis' eyes narrowed, "I have no intentions of letting anything happen to her. This will not end like before." He turned away as if to leave at that.

Cefia watched him, "So that's it…" she said, her eyes wide in realization, "_That's _why you want to marry her so soon."

Ignis paused and turned back to Cefia, confusion on his face. Cefia shook her head and looked down at the grass at her feet, swaying in a slight breeze. For a long time there was no sound but the sounds of nature that always filled the palace.

"…fine Ignis," she finally said, looking up at him with stern features, "Marry her. Take her for your bride, give her immortality," she walked swiftly up to him, standing so they were only inches apart, glaring into his eyes and putting up her index finger like a scolding mother, "But make sure you are doing this for the right reasons, and _not_ because you are still harboring feelings for _her_," she stepped around him, and started towards the hall.

She stopped, turning around, "Oh," she said with a slight smile, "And…if it turns out that you _are _doing this because of that woman, and break sweet Ariel's heart," her smile became sinister, "…then I won't hesitate because you're my brother." She waved as she walked away, "Tah." She disappeared in a blue mist.

Ignis stood alone in the garden, watching where his sister once stood, dumbfounded.

--

"Cefia!" Ariel saw the goddess by the waves and rushed over to her. It was near sunset, and the water looked beautiful in it's golden hues. Cefia turned to watch Ariel run up, smlinging at her.

"Good afternoon, Ariel!" she said with a chiming voice, "What brings you here?"

"I've been looking for you," Ariel answered with a smile, "How is everything? Sorry I haven't been visiting lately…I've been really busy."

"I imagine so," giggled Cefia, looking back at the waves, "What with your own ranch now, along side being one of the bridesmaids at your friend's wedding. Which, by the way, will have my full blessing," she smiled at Ariel for a moment, then seemed troubled and looked back at the waves.

Ariel caught it, "Is something the matter?" she asked.

Cefia shook her head, "Oh, nothing for you to trouble yourself with, my friend. It's…family troubles."

"Did you and Nick get into an argument!?" Ariel said, worried that they had fought or something worse.

Cefia seemed shocked and looked at her, "No! No, nothing like that!" she said, "Nick and I are fine. Perhaps a little tired from trying to keep up with Vic," she giggled, "He is starting to saw 'Momma' now," she said, sounding very proud.

"Oh," Ariel let out a breath, then laughed, "Now if we can only teach him to say 'Auntie'!"

"One syllable at a time," Cefia commented, "Let's not over work my poor child."

The rest of the time was spent in a similar way. They simply talked and laughed about things around town. Though Cefia mostly kept to the house or to the Goddess Pond, checking on the Divine Tree and her Sprites, she did sometimes go about the town with Nick.

The poor people didn't know what to make of the fact that they were in the presences of the goddess, and would fumble when they ask if needs anything from them. Cefia laughed when she told Ariel she sometimes finds it funny, since she already told them that she isn't here to strike anyone down for bad-behavior.

After the sun had disappeared, Cefia and Ariel started back home. When they came to the cross-roads where they had to split apart to go home, they stopped to say goodnight. As Cefia turned to leave, Ariel swallowed the lump in her throat and snapped, "C-Cefia!"

Cefia paused and turned back, "Hmm?"

"H-Have…" she blushed redder and looked down, taking in a breath, "Have you seen the Harvest God lately?"

"Ignis?" she smiled, seemingly amused that Ariel didn't know his name, "Actually, I saw him two days ago. Why?"

"I-I…" she bit her lip, then forced a big smile, "No reason! Thanks!" she waved as she rushed to her Ranch, leaving Cefia to stand alone and confused, watching her until she ran into her house and shut the door.

Once inside, she let out a heavy sigh. She walked over to her book-shelf and opened a small, locked drawer with a key she hid in the cover of one of the books. Inside, she kept the blue-feather. She looked at it for a long while, trying to think of what would happen if she dared to give it to the Harvest God. Would he outright refuse her? She was mortal after all, and didn't he hate immortal and mortal pairs? Isn't that why he was against his sister wedding Nick?

She closed the drawer again and locked it back. She pocketed the key this time and she started to get ready for bed, Shadow following her every step. She felt tired all of a sudden, emotionally and physically.

--

Nick sat with Cefia in the kitchen at the dining table. She had told him about Ignis' want to marry Ariel, and Nick fell silent. He thought back to when he had proposed to Cefia. The god had been infuriated, and had only agreed because Nick proved himself by summoning Ignis back to Harmonica Town and saving the Divine Tree.

"Nicolas," Cefia reached across the table and placed her soft hand over his as he tightly gripped the cup in his hands, "…I'm sorry if I upset you, love."

"No," he said, letting out a sigh, "I'm glad you told me." He relaxed his grip, realizing that getting mad wouldn't help anything. He knew Ariel was in love with Ignis, and if that was who she wanted, he wouldn't stop her. He wanted her happy, she deserved to be happy. But…

"Cefia," he said, "Didn't you tell me that there was a law about godly-marriage that mortals don't have?"

"Yes," Cefia nodded, "It's called the Proposal."

"And it's nothing like what we consider a proposal, is it?"

Cefia was quiet for a while, "No. It's…it's a challenge of sorts, where the one who proposed must complete a task to prove themselves worthy of the marriage."

"So…if Ariel proposes first…"

"Then she will have to complete the challenge. If Ignis proposes, then he must," Cefia smiled softly, "Ignis spared you the challenge because, in his eyes, you already completed it by summoning him to rescue the Divine Tree."

Nick was quiet. He knew that much, but he worried about Ariel, "What kind of challenge will they have to complete?"

"It varies," she sighed, "…but it is never easy."

"Will Ignis go through with the Proposal?" Nick asked, "Ariel's not a goddess, she can't complete the tasks that you can!"

Cefia looked down, clearly unsure, "It's a tradition that is older than even us, Nick. It was created by those before us, and has never been broken. There have been exceptions, as in your case, but never has it been completely ignored. I do not think Ignis is capable of breaking this tradition, because it is a law amongst us immortals. The Proposal has always been honored as a way of proving ones worth."

Nick thought for a moment about this. His challenge had been completed without his knowing, and he didn't know how much of Cefia's convincing had taken place to keep Ignis from forcing another one on him. "Cefia," he looked at her, "What…what happens if one of them _fails_?"

Cefia's face become very stern, an expression that was hardly every directed at him and she answered, "Then there will be no marriage…and they will be forbidden to see one another for the rest of eternity."

--

**A/N:** Sorry, should've put this up before (and since I can't really work the polls) Please let me know who you'd like to see do the "proposal challenge"!!


	8. The Gods Rule

8. The Gods Rule

Ignis paced the length of the throne room. Outside, thunder grumbled and threatened to burst down in a down poor of rain. Spring would soon end, summer would come, and the passing of time made him even angrier. How could he know what his sister meant? Whenever he saw Ariel, his sister's words came back to his mind.

'Make sure you're doing this for the right reason,' she had said.

'What do you mean!?' he roared in his mind, 'What do you mean by that!? Isn't it enough that I love her? Am I wrong to love her!?'

As he thought of Ariel at that moment, her smiling face and her laughter, he saw someone else in his mind take her place. Beautiful raven hair, eyes like new grass, skin like milk…she had lived long ago, and Ignis had watched her and loved her. He guarded her…

Her name had been Catherin. She had been born a sick child and her parents brought her to one of his many Earthly-Seats to pray for his blessing over the child. He gave it to them, for they were good people, and then became interested in her life. Slowly, interest became obsession. As she grew older, into a beautiful young woman, it became something he recognized as love.

He blessed her with the best, making her family go from poverty to riches, whenever she went into a forest, she would be greeted by animals that would play and guide her. She could grow anything anywhere, and her beautiful singing would charm birds to her side. He visited her in different forms that he dared to take, a red-tailed hawk or a fox that would run just out of her reach. But, he never approached her, not out of fear of her or of what she would think of him, but because she was human, and he was not.

That was his down-fall. Soon, Catherin found a husband, and Ignis watched her grow old and die. She left no children behind, but died happily with her husband holding her hand, promising her that he would see her again soon. He would die a few years later, living to a ripe old age. Ignis hadn't dared to let someone near him since then, and looked upon the humans falsely since then. He saw them as something else living, yes, but never as anything more again.

It was then he realized what his sister had meant. She was afraid that he thought of Ariel as another Catherin. Ignis, upon this revelation, sank down into his throne with a heavy sigh. What was he to do? He wasn't sure how different his feelings for Catherin and Ariel were. Cefia was afraid that Ariel was a replacement, and that Ignis was marrying her so that he could have what he wanted with Catherin.

He wondered if she was right…

--

Four days. That's how many days she had climbed to the top of the mountain and waited for the Harvests God. All day, and most of the night, with the blue-feather in shaky hands and with every intention of asking him to marry her.

She had told Cefia and asked what she thought he would do, fearing complete rejection, and she had become very quiet, very blank. "…I suppose you won't know until you try," she had said with a soft smirk.

Sitting there against one of the large rocks that bordered the platform, she ran her fingers along the feather, feeling its soft texture. Surprisingly, despite how delicate it looked and how long she had kept it, it never frayed or dulled in its bright blue color. As she turned it around and around in her fingers, she tried to think of what she was going to say to him.

"Maybe the whole 'Will you marry me' thing…nah," she thought as she smiled, "I don't think that works…maybe just telling him that I love him..." But that didn't work either. She sat there, leaning against the boulders, her knees tucked under her chin. She ran more ideas through her head, from trying to make it a joke to saying something romantic. Nothing seemed right. She wondered if it would ever seem right.

Finally, after the sun had set and her watch alerted her it was pass ten at night, she decided he wouldn't come again. She grumbled her annoyance at him for not coming, and made her way back towards home.

She welcomed the sight of her house, and once inside, waisted no time in dressing for bed, calling Shadow into her room to sleep on the foot of her bed like he always did, warming her toes, and then crawled in herself for a night of blissful dreams.

And so it was, for a long while. But not long enough.

Ariel didn't know what woke her first. The strange feeling in her chest or the dream she had. She sat up slowly and reached for the light at her bed-side. Turning it on, Shadow raised his head and whined at her.

She reached down and patted his head. Still, it was there, that feeling in her chest, though it was slowly spreading to her head. It felt strange, foreign. She didn't want it there.

She tried to block it, ignore it and rolled over in the bed, pulling the blankets over her head and thinking of random things. Sheep, she counted sheep. When that didn't work, she tried counted ducks or even pretend fish.

'Ariel!' snapped an irritated voice. Ariel jack-knifed up, eyes wide and very still. She knew that voice.

'Stop trying to block my voice,' he said, irritation thick in his tone, 'It is hard enough to enter your mind without harming you.'

"What the--!?" she shouted, jerking so violently that she fell out of the bed. She scrambled to sit up, realizing that he has to be present somewhere. "W-Where are you?"

'I am nowhere near you,' he stated simply, 'But, I am waiting for you. I am at the top of the mountain.'

"The mountain?" Ariel got to her feet and looked about, smoothing her night-gown. "Why are you there? Cefia said--"

"Do not question,' he grumbled, 'Just come. I will wait for you here. Now.'

Ariel swallowed, looking down at herself. Was she still in her night dress, was she just suppose to drop everything and go to him? It was FREEZING outside!

'What is it now?' he sighed.

"...I'm not dressed," Ariel said.

'You are,' he answered, 'Come now.'

"I'll FREEZE!" Ariel snapped, "Not all of us are gods!"

There was a long pause between the conversing through her mind until Ignis said, 'Very well...' and Ariel felt something in her mind snap. It made her head spin, and she stumbled back a step before she crumpled to the floor.

It was a brief moment of utter blackness, and she felt cold and stiff. But when she opened her eyes again, she was warm and held in strong, able arms.

"Forgive me," said a deep voice, "I should have warned you of what I was doing. Teleportation is more comfortable when I am physically present," he informed her.

Ariel groaned, her head pounding, "I feel like I have a hangover..." she muttered.

"Stand slowly," he said, raising her up, "You may feel ill for a time."

As she rose to her feet with him, she realized she was wrapped in the Harvest God's red and orange glow. "What is this?" she wondered aloud.

"My power," he said, "Or as much as you can handle. It will keep your mortal body warm," he said, "Come this way." He turned and walked towards the edge of the platform with him.

He watched her come beside him and then waved his hand out over the clouds that hid the land below. Not only could you see the town and the sea, but all around you could see the world. The land beyond Castanet, the islands that peeked over the ocean's horizons, and the slowly rising sun.

It was beautiful and took her breath away. Around her whirled a gentle wind that made her feel more than welcomed here. She stepped forward and leaned on the rocks that bordered the platform, almost her entire torso over the edge. "Oh! It's so beautiful! Is this what you see every day?" she asked the God, turning to face him with her innocent smile.

He stared back at her with a stark expression, "No," he answered, "In my home, I can see everything. This is only a small portion of what I see daily."

Ariel frowned. She looked back out and said, "Well, this has got to be the most beautiful place I've ever seen, hands down." Another wind blew into her face, touching her cheeks and skin in a surprisingly warm caress, "I love this place."

"I have seen places that are more wondrous than this little town," he grunted, crossing his arms, "This town, though quaint, is not all that beautiful."

Ariel spun around, "How can you say that!?" she cried, "Nick and Cefia and the Harvest Sprites fought to save this place! They brought it back by summoning you to save the tree! Why would you say something like that?!"

Ariel saw the surprised looked on his face and realized that she had raised her voice to the_ Harvest God_! She should've feared and cowered and begged for her life. She should've hit her knees as he reached his hand out towards her with his face drawn into that scowl. She should've cried and screamed, but instead, she couldn't move from that spot, staring at him, as he reached out and laid a hand on her cheek.

It was warm and strong, and he pulled her closer to him. Once more, she felt her gut clench and thought he might kiss her. Instead, he simply wrapped her in a soft, careful embrace, as if he might break her.

She smiled, realizing that this was much better than a kiss. She hugged him back before realizing it. When did it happen, she wondered. When did it become okay to be close to him like this? When was she able to see him as something besides the all powerful god of all seasons and elements? Her heart fluttered against her rib cage, making her skin tingle with a strange, yet welcomed warmth, and her throat became tight, inhaling his strange, yet beautiful smell.

"Ariel," his voice brought her out of the trance she had fallen into. She drew herself reluntantly away to look up at his face. He was staring down at her, very serious, his face bathed in the first rays of morning sunlight, bringing out his handsome features all the more.

"...will you...be my wife?" he asked her carefully, as if each word was a dagger that could kill her at any second.

Ariel's eyes widened as she opened and closed her mouth, staring at him. Her thoughts traveled to the blue feather in her house, how she was planning to propose, since she didn't think he'd make the first move. She was utterly stunned.

"You have to know," he said, "That there are certain downsides to being my bride. I cannot be there for you like a normal, mortal husband. I cannot be like Cefia either. My duties keep me confined to my own home to much, and there are laws that will--"

"Yes," Ariel cut him off.

He stared at her, as if he didn't know the word she spoke. Ariel smiled, and said it again, "Yes. I want to be your wife. I _will_ be your wife."

"Why?" he asked, sounding completely astonished, as if he expected her to refuse him.

Ariel couldn't help but smile at that. She took a moment to compose herself, to prepare herself to say the words she had realized a long time ago, "Because I love you."

No sooner had the words escaped her mouth did he pull her back into his arms. She smiled and let out a satisfied sigh, then put her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest, feeling like she would cry.

For the next few moments, Ariel felt the soft beams of morning touching her skin, but it couldn't match the warmth in her heart. It made her feel complete.

"This is all extremely touching," came a new voice, and Ariel gasped as she looked over the god's shoulders to see Cefia standing there, arms cross over her chest.

The god spun around to face his sister, keeping one arm around Ariel's waist to hold her against him, but scowled at Cefia as she said sternly "We have something to discuss, brother, before you can wed her."

--

Ignis didn't know what to expect of Ariel when he proposed marriage to her. He had expected her to refuse him, since he wasn't going to be able to be there for her like a husband should. But she had said yes.

He had been torn for the longest while on his feelings about Catherin and Ariel, and had finally made his decision. As he stood on the steps, he kept one arm around Ariel, keeping her with him as he stared at his sister, "I have already decided, sister. She will be my wife, for I love her as she does me."

"That is not what I intended to speak of," Cefia said with a smirk, "But it is good to hear all the well, for it means that at the least, if you wed, then the marriage will not be a total loss."

Ignis didn't miss the "if" in her words, and scowled, "What will hinder our marriage?" he asked her.

"The Proposal," Cefia answered, "As custom dictates us immortals to follow by."

Ignis felt his hold on Ariel tighten. The Proposal! How could he have forgotten the Proposal?

Cefia chuckled at the expression on her brother's face. "You didn't think that you could get away with marrying without completing the ritual, did you?" She smiled brightly, "Your love will be doomed before it could even have the chance to bloom."

Ignis gritted his teeth and scowled at his sister, "Are you accusing me of trying to break the laws of the gods?"

"Never, not you brother," Cefia smiled as she spoke with her voice dripping of sarcasm. She walked down the steps and passed the two by, "Come now, we will go to my home and discuss this there." She never looked back, just walked gracefully down the steps while swaying her hips, "And then we will see if this love will continue…or die here and now."

Ignis nearly pounced his sister for her words, but when he felt Ariel's hands wrap around his arm, he stopped. He looked down at her and saw the confusion and hurt in her eyes, and he softened. "All will be well," he promised, and then glared after his sister and started after her with Ariel at his side.

When they reached the bottom, Cefia disappeared. There they paused, and Ignis let out a deep sigh and pulled his arm from Ariel's grasp.

"We will have to teleport," he told her.

Ariel's eyes seemed to double in size, remembering, he was sure, his earlier attempt to teleport her to his side. "Remember what I told you," he said, "Teleporting is more comfortable with me physically present."

Ariel bit her lip, "...can't we just go down the stairs?" she indicated to the mine entrance, staring at it with a longing glance.

Ignis ignored her and held out his hand, "Take my hand," he told her.

She looked at it, then to him, "Please say your joking..." she asked again.

He raised an eyebrow, "Why would I joke about this?"

Ariel swallowed, then placed her hand in his. It was a simple thing for him, just a small adjustment of his power and then they were wrapped in magic that was moved from one place to another. But, when they rematerialized, he realized this was probably not the best mode of transportation for Ariel. When they touched ground in Nick's house, Ariel dropped to the floor.

"Ariel!" Nick jumped up, his chair skidding across the wood floor. Ignis was already kneeling beside her, and easily put his arm around her back and under her knees, lifting her up. He carried her to the couch and set her down, then looked her in the eye.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his face more stern than worried.

She merely blushed and nodded excessively, "T-That was really…weird…" she admitted.

"I am sorry," he told her, "I won't do it again if you do not wish me to."

"I…" Ariel began to speak, but she was cut off.

"Ignis," Cefia brought his attention back to her, and he straightened, looking at his sister with the same stern expression that she had on, "What do you plan on doing about the challenge?"

Ignis didn't say anything at first. He knew he couldn't refuse the challenge, else have the entire universe against him and Ariel, and have it all end tragically. He looked back at the fragile young human he had come to love, knowing that it was selfish of him, but he wanted to have her.

"The Spell must be cast," he said, holding out his hand to help Ariel back to her feet, "I will go now."

"You cannot cast it yourself," Cefia said sternly, "It is against tradition."

"Who will cast it then?" he scowled at her, "You? I highly doubt it."

"Why not?" Cefia crossed her arms, "What makes you think I can't cast the Spell of Fate?"

"To cast it makes you the overseer of the Proposal," he said, "Meaning you too would have to retreat from this world. The Proposal could last days, even years," he looked his sister in the eye, "Would you be able to leave your family, who live like mortals, bound to time, for that long a period?"

"If I must," Cefia said strongly, "I have faith in my love and my son," she looked at Nick, who was standing beside her, "I know they will be safe and firm in their life."

Ignis looked at Nick, who also seemed to be strong and agreeing with his wife's words. It made him both angry and jealous to know that the two had such faith in each other.

Ariel's soft touch made Ignis look back to the woman hanging from his arm. She stared up at him with a strange expression, one he recognized as confusion. She didn't understand what was happening. She didn't know this custom. And he had no time to explain it to her.

"The Spell of Fate must be casted tonight to determine the challenge," Cefia said sternly, "And you, my _dear_ brother, will return to the heavens. Regardless of who starts the spell, it is clear on the matter than until the challenge is won or lost, the two cannot have contact."

Ariel's grip tightened on Ignis' arm, "What!? What do you mean!?" she said, looking at Cefia, "Why can't we see each other?"

"Ariel," Nick came over, resting a hand on his cousin's shoulder, "I can explain everything, but you have to let them go."

"No!" Ariel glared at him, then looked back at Ignis, "What's going on!?" she asked, "Tell me! Why can't we see each other?"

Ignis noticed the hurt in her eyes and felt that annoying twinge in his chest. He wanted to console her, to tell her everything himself, but Cefia beckoned.

"Ignis," she snapped, "Let Nicolas take care of her. Come now," her voice had become a little softer, gentler when it came to Ariel, as if she realized for the first time the human's presence in the matter.

Ariel's nails bit into Ignis' skin. She didn't mean to, but it was clear she didn't want to let him go either. "All will be well, Ariel," he lifted his hand to rest on her cheek, and she seemed to be reluctant to believe his words. He wanted to reinforce them somehow, to show her that he wouldn't allow her to be lost to him.

But with no inclining on _how _to show her, he simply resigned himself to letting her go. He gently removed her hand from his arm and walked away. In two separate bursts of light, one blue and one red, the two gods disappeared from the house, leaving their human lovers alone to stand in utter silence.

_--_

**A/N:** _Okay, so I re-did this chapter so many times that it's not funny, and it was always changing. Ariel proposed, Ingis proposed...there was even a really strange scene I played around with involving the Harvest Sprites, but that got edited out _ _

_Okay, so officially, Ignis will be doing the challenge. The challenge is probably going to be 3 or 4 chapters to itself, so you are warned!! I am currently working on the challenge as it is, and needless to say it's not going to be easy on ANY of my characters. *insert evil laugh here*_

_On a side note! I will be introducing a few new "gods" and such in the challenge itself. _ _ Also, just to clear a few things up. "Nick" is actually the new playable guy in Animal Parade, while "Ariel" is actually the "Akari" girl from Tree of Tranquility. I like Akari's design better, so...sorry...?_

_And I apologize for taking so long to upload! I will try to have the challenge's first chapter up as soon as possible! Thank you and PLEASE review!!_

_--Alma Theresa_


	9. The Challenge Begins

**9. The Challenge Begins**

Cefia hadn't been here in such a long time. She materialized before the beautiful palace that seemed to be carved right out of glimmering, glowing blue crystal. It was rested at the deepest, darkest part of the ocean, nestled in a trench, being the only guiding light in this pitch black sea. Here, lived the Goddess Aquarius, Cefia's sister.

The towering doors opened of their own power as Cefia approached, and she entered the large entrance hall of the palace. From the inside, you could see right out of the crystal walls into the surrounded waters. Many strange sea creatures lurked around the palace, drawn to its remarkable light in this otherwise dark place. Cefia even caught the red eye of her sister's sea-serpent, the deadly creature spying her and then moving on, realizing she was no threat to its mistress.

"Welcome, welcome sister!" chimed the watering voice of Aquarius. The goddess was stunning, dressed in lavender and violet flowing robes, with silver bracelets other jewelry, and a crown that circled her brow made of smooth pink coral. She had long, wavy indigo hair, and her eyes shimmered a beautiful, calm purple. She gracefully moved to her Cefia and embraced her, "It is so good to see you again, Cefia," she said, and pulled away to look at her sister, the two goddesses equal in height, "I heard you have a child now, a son, correct? How is he?"

"Fair," answered Cefia with a smile, "He is with his father."

"Yes, your mortal husband," Aquarius gave a small giggle, "I hope that he is well also."

"Indeed," Cefia said, and then her face became more serious, "But...this is not why I have come, Aquarius."

Aquarius' face became almost void of emotion, and she nodded, "I realize. The messengers of Fate fly fast. They foretold your arrival, as well as the reason behind it." Aquarius turned on her heels, her robes and hair flying around her and almost floating in the air as she walked gracefully down the halls of her home, her sister at her side, "Our brother intends to take a bride."

"The Proposal cannot wait," Cefia told her sister, "And I have come to enlist your aid. Fate has decreed—"

"I know well what Fate has handed to Ignis," Aquarius paused to turn towards her sister again, and bowed her head, eyes closed, "And I understand what it means as well. I just cannot believe that our noble brother," she grinned at those words, "Will take a human for a wife."

Cefia frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

"Don't think me prejudiced," Aquarius said, "I have no room to talk, as you know. But I can't help but worry for the poor girl."

Cefia was quiet, but did silently agree with her sister on that part. "We have little time, Aquarius," Cefia said, "The Proposal starts--"

Aquarius put up her hand to silent her sister, and then smiled, "No need to worry. This way," she turned and led her sister down a smaller hallway that ended in what appeared to be a dead end. But with a wave of the water-goddess's hand, the wall rippled away, and revealed a room lit by strange lanterns with glowing blue flames. In the center, on a small column of marble, rested on an iron stand, was what Cefia had come for.

"It was entrusted to me," Aquarius said, her voice and expression very heavy with sadness as the two stepped closer to it, "...I valued that trust for so long...who would've thought that Fate itself would force me to betray that trust..."

"It cannot be helped, sister," Cefia said, looking at the object with the same heavy heart that she knew her sister shared. She reached forward and picked up the object. "This challenge is like no other I've seen before..."

"Indeed," agreed Aquarius, staring at the glowing object in her sister's hand, held so carefully, so gently and tenderly, it was as if it was her second child, "This challenge will test both the bride and groom."

"It is a true test," Cefia closed her hands over the object, "To see if their love is true enough to withstand everything.

--

_'You will find a girl called Ariel in the land of Castanet. Retrieve her, and take her to the Meadow of the Immortals. There, thee must keep her safe. Should the groom not appear before sundown on the third day, thou must kill her.'_

Shido was not at all fazed by the words that Fate had spoken to him. "Understood," he had said, "It shall be done as you say."

With that, Shido stepped off the mountain's peak where he had been called to hear the decree of Fate. Instantly, he was engulfed in wind and became invisible against the night sky.

Youngest of all the god-siblings, Shido was not on very good terms with any of his family. He was not easy to deal with, and whenever he met with his elder brother, it was always a war. For thousands of years, Shido and his brother had held a kind of resentment towards each other, but at the same time, respect. They both knew that without each other, neither could exist.

As he neared the land Fate had sent him to, coming in over the crashing waves of the ocean, he was met with the vision of Harmonica Town in the moonlight. He instantly recognized the presences of his sister's power that flowed through the land like veins under the ground, radiating through each tree, each plant and rock, but then there was something more. Something that was so powerful, it blazed over his sister's aura. He flowed this blaze to the source, and came upon a house alongside a small stream and a pond.

To his eyes, it was like staring into a bonfire. It engulfed the entire house, this sphere of red-fire that kept him at bay. When he landed, and took a step towards it, part of this flame took shape of a dragon's head and lashed out at him. He jumped back into the air and hovered out of the reach of this magic, his brother's magic. The serpent's head dispersed, but he could almost hear the growl of the creature, warding him off.

Shido scowled, 'A barrier...' he glared at the red sphere with distain, "Ignis has planned..." he grumbled. A burr caught Shido's attention, and he turned his head slightly to a barn near the house, hearing the soft sound of the animals nestled inside. The bay of sheep and goats, the soft grunts of a horse, and the snorts of sleeping cows. This gave him an idea.

The barrier only protected the house. He settled down on the ground again, and let himself into the barn. The animals all looked as he stepped in, surrounded in his silver aura as he moved forward, going up to the sleepy cows. He rested a hand on the animals flank and stroked it a bit, making it calm down and the rest of the animals seemed to accept his presences as well.

"Forgive me," he whispered to the animal after a moment, "But your assistance is required." A pulse of power surged into the cow, and instantly, its pupils dilated. It let out a terrified cry and tossed its head, kicking out and knocking over a pitch-fork and many buckets. The sudden noises and the strange actions of this cow caused the rest of the animals to panic and they began to stomp and rear and try to escape.

Shido scent a burst of magic forward and splintered the barn doors with a sound equal to that of a clash of the loudest thunder. The animals bolted out and began to run around in chaos. They caused and uproar, sheep tumbling over each other, the cows and goats ramming their heads into trees, buildings, and some of the ducks jumped into the pond to escape the fray, the chickens franticly flapping their wings and trying to escape the trampling hooves of the stampeding animals.

Shido watched everything from the top of the barn, arms crossed with a smug smile. He didn't have to wait long. As he predicted, the girl awoke, and her door opened. Out sprang a black and white dog that dashed forward, surrounding the animals and barking frantically at them as if to herd them, but only succeeding in making the madness worse.

The girl called out to the dog, and Shido watched as she stepped out of the fires of Ignis' protection, the flames bending and folding to allow her passage, but at the same time, wrapping around her as if to embrace her, caressing her skin and face like a gentle lover. But she didn't notice, and as she ran out further from these flames, they were forced back, unable to hold onto her.

She ran to the rearing horse, the dark brown tossing its head and stomping its hooves at her. She struggled with it only for a moment, grabbing its halter to steady it. She stroked its muzzle and whispered soothing words to it, calming the horse, releasing it from the madness, before running to calm the next animal. But she would never make it.

Shido, careful to avoid Ignis' fires, appeared behind the girl. All he had to do was lay a hand on her shoulder, and she froze, her body becoming very rigid with a tiny gasp. Her eyes rolled back and her knees folded as she collapsed back against him. He wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her up into her arms. The moment she was in her arms, his power wrapping around her, the fires roared up and reached out to attack him.

He leapt out of their way and jumped into the sky. The animals spiraled further into madness, and Shido was careful, as he ascended further and further into the sky, to stay out of the reach of his brother's power. Carefully holding onto the girl, he readied to take her to the Meadow of the Immortals, a place only gods could reach, hidden away from all mortals.

The girl squirmed in his arms, as if trying to escape. He glared at her, she should've been lifeless. The spell he casted should've made her sleep until he woke her.

"N-No..." she mumbled, trying to squirm in his grip again, "...d-don't..."

Shido paused for a second to look at her face as a tear began to roll down her cheek. Was it possible for her to understand what was going on? 'No,' he decided, glaring at her, 'She is just a mortal.'

--

_'Help me!'_

Ignis' eyes jolted open. He jerked up in his bed, and looked around. It was dark, but as soon as he was up, the torches of his room blazed to life. He knew the voice that woke him. It was Ariel's voice. But how did it reach him here?

He rose from his bed and quickly threw on his robe. He rushed from his bed chamber to the Throne Room, the roots and other life that lined the halls crashing to get out of his way as he went. The closer her came to the Throne, the more he understood the feeling he had. Something was amiss.

The doors crashed open and Ignis went right to the large red orb and demanded of it, "Castanet!" The inner red smoke of the orb faded and the image seemed to warp through time and space to hover over the lush, green land of Castanet, like a bird would see. "Show me Eden Ranch," he spoke the words, and the orb flashed through time and space again, and Ignis saw it.

Ariel's animals were infected with madness and rampaged through her fields, trampling her crops, her land, and hurting themselves and others. Ignis spun on his heels and was engulfed in red aura, disappearing from his palace only to reappear in a blink on Ariel's land. He didn't hesitate, holding up his hand to the air and power coursed through him to his hand. It burst forth from his palm in multiple strands of red light that flew forward, touching the mind of each animal, curing them of their blindness as once.

All the creatures stilled and quieted, looking exhausted and ashamed. A two cows collapsed, and the horse breathed heavily, bowing it's head and closing its eyes as if to sleep. Ignis paid them little heed as he went towards the house.

"Ariel!" he called out, "ARIEL!"

The protection spell he had casted on the house whispered to him. She wasn't here. Fear and rage gripped him as he tightened his fists, but his power spoke to him still. A new magic had been imprinted on it. A silver magic, unbridled, young, vibrant. Ignis recognized it instantly.

"SHIDO!!" his bellow made the entire earth shake, and awoke the entire land from Flute Fields to Garmon Mines.

The earth-quake caused cave-ins at the mines, boats at the harbor filled with water as waved crashed over and into them, and over head, the darkest, most ominous clouds that had ever been seen rolled in at unnatural speeds, flashing with fierce lightening and thundering so loud that it sounded almost like a dragon's roar.

Every family stepped out of their homes to stare at the sky in awe and fear, even Nick. He knew right away the cause of these events, "So...the challenge has begun."

From inside, Vic wailed. Nick hurried back inside and went to his son. His mother would be busy for the next few days, so he would have to alone care for him. Holding his crying son in his arms, he closed his eyes. 'Be strong, Ariel...'

--

Cefia stood alone beside her sacred tree. She looked up at the dark, foreboding sky as it roared angrily and lightening casted a ghostly flash across the water. This normally tranquil, beautiful place that storms never touched, that was always a place of peace, seemed cursed now.

In a bolt of lightning, she heard the bellow of her brother, "_Cefia_!!" she couldn't help but wince at the rage he directed at her as, in that same lightening flash, he appeared at the top of the old steps that lead to her tree.

Thunder crashed angrily, reflecting Ignis' expression, as Cefia slowly turned to face him. Ignis didn't hesitate to storm closer, glowering down at her, "Where is she?" he growled at her, his cold, fire red eyes making Cefia's blood run cold.

Cefia didn't let her feelings show, and kept her face expressionless as she said evenly, "The proposal has begun."

"Damn the proposal!" Ignis grabbed her by the arm and roughly shook her, "Where is Ariel!? Shido took her! Where are they, Cefia!?"

Cefia didn't like her brother's rough treatment of her, and she showed it by sending a jolt of her power to bite at the hand that held her. It didn't hurt him, but her clear rejection of him made him pull away with a angry curse.

"This is not my doing, Ignis. It is the hand of Fate. You're challenge as begun," she told him.

Ignis continued to glare at her, her pale blue aura still sparking on his hand, unable to be fully devoured by his own. "What does Ariel have to do with this?" he asked.

"You're challenge," Cefia continued, "As decreed by Fate, is to be Ariel herself. Three days," she held up three fingers, "You will have three days. Shido has taken Ariel to a hidden place, and you will have to find her. Find, and rescue her before nightfall of the third day."

Ignis' hand clenched, as if he realized something. He spoke his thoughts, "What happens should I fail to have her by the third night?"

Cefia swallowed, emotion breaking her barrier as she looked down at the grass before her, swaying in the angry wind. "Fate has decreed that...should you fail this task..." she felt a pain in her heart, for not only her brother who she had lead down this road without thinking, but also for her friend Ariel. "...Ariel will die."

Ignis' face became empty, eyes wide as his shoulders dropped. Silence rang hallow through the spring, seeming to echo, even though it made not a sound. Even the wind and the thunder were quiet, until Ignis regained himself, now more enraged than before. "You allowed this!? Is she not your friend, Cefia!? You allowed Fate to get her involved in this!? Has she not given you her trust!? How could you do this to Ariel!?"

"You think I wished this to happen!?" Cefia took a brazen step forward, "I do not want her to be forced into this, but it is you she has chosen, as well as you choosing her! We dare not go against Fate, not after the die is cast!"

Ignis looked like he would've struck her if he had the will. But he was torn now between Ariel and Cefia. Cefia understood his desperation to find her, and that softened her rage towards his earlier accusations. She relaxed herself a bit and said, "If you truly love her, as you say, then you have nothing to fear."

Ignis was silent for another moment, and felt for that moment nothing but guilt and fear for Ariel, for being unable to defend her against this, unable to keep her from being taken from her home and involved in this trial of the gods. But he realized that his sister was right, and the only way he would be able to make up for his mistake was to complete the challenge and save Ariel. "What must I do?" he asked, his voice a little more even, though still edged.

Cefia took in a breath before saying, "I am allowed to tell you three clues, no more," she said, "Shido keeps Ariel in a place hidden to mortals, and a place that can only be reached by the immortals. She is safe with him, for now," she said, "You will find her there."

"Then I will go," Ignis turned to go.

"I am not finished!" Cefia hurried to get in front of him, stopping him by putting her hands on his chest, "You must listen! This is important! It is not as simple as finding and saving her, Ignis! You will face three tests that Fate will design. I do not know when or where or in what form they will come, but they will come!"

"This does not bother me," Ignis tried to brush his sister aside, "I must go now! We are wasting time!"

Cefia allowed him to pass, and as he started away, she held out her hand, palm closed, and her face became extremely sorrowful as she said, "Please, do not resent me, my brother," and when she opened it, in her hand was a large red pearl. A burst of bright red light shot out of it with the speed of a bullet, reaching up into the sky.

Ignis has heard his sister speak and turned when he noticed the familiar light. His eyes grew wide, his mouth opening to say something, but he couldn't utter the words before he fell to one knee, clutching his chest. He gazed up at his sister from his kneel, his expression asking her why as his aura grew and waned, the same happening to the strange pearl Cefia held.

"Forgive me," Cefia begged, "But I have to do this. This is the last thing, brother, that I must tell you. I will not take all of your power, not yet, but for this challenge, you will slowly loose it all. As you go on this quest, your power will be limited. The more you use it, the faster it will go. Once it is gone, your senses will go, starting with your sight. Have you not found and rescued Ariel before the sun disappears on the third day, the challenge is lost, and all of your powers will return."

The pearl's light slowly retreated back into the orb, and Cefia closed her hand around it. Her palm flashed blue, and the pearl was gone. Ignis leaned forward on his hands and gasped for breath. His strength was nearly gone.

Cefia forced herself to take a step away from him, feeling guilty for this pain he was in, for this weakness. She had betrayed him by using his only weakness against him, and she knew he recognized what he had left to their sister, Aquarius. "I must go, I cannot stay any longer," she said, choking on sobs, "For both Ariel and your sake, I wish you all the luck of the world." She disappeared in a veil of blue mist, leaving Ignis to try and stand on weak limbs.

He gasped for breath and looked at his hand. The bright aura around him was faint and barely glowed, like the dying embers of a once brilliant fire. Dying…yes, he was indeed dying. He was losing his powers, and slowly, he was becoming mortal.

--

**A/N:** I'm sorry!!!! I'm sooo sorry it took me so long to update! (head-desk) Actually, I've been playing Harvest Moon Animal Parade so much that I really haven't done anything else. O_o.... (I am married to Ignis through, so hurray!!! -dance- )

However, I do have the ENTIRE Challege written on paper, but...it's rather rough, and I'm slowly smoothing it to get onto my computer and into the actual story. And my friend who reads and corrects said stories is majorly P.O.'ed that she didn't get the memo that this was already posted, and so she never got to check it, so I have more errors than she can fully accept. ^-^ Heh-heh, sorry!!

Anyway, the Proposal itself will once again be at least three chapters, possibly four. I will try to keep updating....I'M SORRY I TAKE SO LONG!!! T-T

-Alma Theresa


	10. A Secret Place

**10: A Secret Place**

Green...a cool breeze...the smell of Spring in the air. Swaying, bright, fresh grass, as soft as a blanket, moving to a kind of rhythm as they were brushed with the gentle, soothing wind. Utter beauty, nothing could rival it, nothing she could think of. Ariel slowly moved a hand to touch a blade of the dancing grass gingerly with her finger tips. Her vision became sharper as she blinked away sleep, and she became more aware of more than just the grass she was rested in.

A light mist that rolled across this strange field slowly, and the whisper of the breeze seemed to echo and become louder, giving the illusion that the wind was stronger than it truly was. _'Was that a dream?'_ she asked herself. Had she dreamed that someone had carried her off into the sky, far away from her home? As she moved to sit up, groaning from the ache in her back and hips, she heard the heavy clink of metal on metal, and felt something cold around her wrists and ankles. She looked at her hands and gasped. Shackles on both arms, made of a shining alloy that sparkled almost white, like chrome. "W-What's!?"

She never got a chance to finish her thoughts as, from behind, a strong, surprisingly warm hand came around to cover her eyes. She felt instantly into an unnatural darkness, feeling her body go limp as she fell into a deep slumber.

--

"Are you sure about this?" Nick asked his wife. She had come to him close to tears, and he had done all he could to comfort her. It had helped, she kept her composer, but she insisted on not seeing Vic. She couldn't stay long, or she risked jeopardizing the Proposal.

Cefia gave a heavy, broken sigh as she shook her head, "It's not about whether or not I am sure about it. I cannot tell what Fate has in store for the two of them. It is what it is, I suppose."

"That's not what I meant," Nick said, "I mean, are you sure about what _you're_ doing?" he took her hand and looked at her with a gentle gaze, feeling her hands trembling from the stress of holding back her emotions, "This is tearing you apart too, Cefia."

Cefia closed her eyes and bowed her head, "...I don't know what to think, Nick..." she admitted, looking at him with more tears in her eyes as her voice broke, "The way Ignis looked at me...I felt so ashamed to call myself his sister! I felt...I felt awful..." she broke into sobs, and Nick instantly wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried into her hands, "I knew what it meant when I took his power away! I condemned my own brother to death! He could _die_, Nick! I made him mortal! And Ariel!" she sobbed at the name, "Oh, what have I done to her!? If Ignis doesn't get to her in time then...she'll..."

Nick tightened his hold on her. "They'll both be alright, Cefia."

"How can you say that?" she sniffled, slowly calming down, "I'm a goddess, and not even I can say that everything will be okay. How can you say that, when you're only a mortal?"

Nick chuckled at her and said, "Because we _mortals_ have something very powerful."

"What's that?" Cefia asked, honestly curious as she looked up at her husband.

Nick have her a playful grin as he said, "The ability, when someone or something we love is in danger, to do whatever it costs to insure its safety, no matter the cost."

--

Ignis cursed as he leaned against the boulders of the mountain. He had only managed to teleport himself to the half-way point on the mountain, and though there were remnants of a trail from when this mountain was used as a test for future kings, it had long been overcrowded by the large rocks and scattered mountain trees, making the climb even harder, at some points nearly impossible. The mountain itself was almost on the other side of the world from Harmonica Town, a small part of the world known only to the gods, and select mortals.

He cursed everything, his brother, his sister, Fate, anyone he thought of. Anyone, that is, except Ariel. Every time he pictured her, remembered how her life depended on him, he somehow found the will to go on. But without his power, he was finding it harder and harder to back that will with physical strength.

He knew exhaustion, of course. Changing the seasons, making the sun rise and set, all of these he had to do. Making the entire world live and move, so that life could go on. Often, he would rest for days after changing seasons, for it took so much of his power to not only alter the weather, but to insure it would remain for that season's time. But this was unnatural exhaustion. This was an illness, a plague on him, like a leech sucking away more than his power, but his life. Soon, he would be nothing. He would die.

He struggled on word, and as he did, a thought came into his mind. _'Why am I doing this?'_ he thought, _'If I go back, if I cease this foolish task, all will be will. She's only a simple human, hardly worth this effort, correct?'_

Ignis paused and staggered, resting a hand on the trunk of an old, wise tree. It would be easier. If he simply lay down, his powers would return in time. If he didn't waste any more energy on this trail, in only a few days, his power would fully return. His body laxed and swayed as he leaned heavily on the tree, going to his knees. _'If I simply sleep now...'_

Ariel's smile, her voice, her touch, it all rushed into his mind. Everything about her, from her kind words, the smell of earth on her skin, her warmth when he held her, it overpowered everything, even the memories of his forgotten Catherine.

"Damnation!" he hissed, his nails digging into the bark of the tree as he held his head in his hands. Pain coursed through his head, the pounding of his pulse ringing in his ears. What was he thinking!? He couldn't _abandon_ Ariel!

_'But she is just a human! A mortal, who will die like all mortals die! She is simply a frail little wench who can do __**nothing**__ to satisfy a god! She will NEVER be good enough! __**Never**__ be the one to bring you real happiness! Why __**suffer**__ for her!?'_

"Enough!" Ignis snapped, "Out, damned spirit! Leave my mind at once!" his voice was so loud, so demanding, that it vibrated off the stone of the mountain, intensifying each word he spoke. Instantly, Ignis felt something lift off his shoulders, like a heavy burden was just taken from him. Hearing the scratching and chatter of a small voice, he turned his head to watch the little black imp-like creature scurry away from him, searching for a dark place to hide itself from the god's rage.

These were some of Fate's creations, made from all the dark emotions of everything in existence, mortal and immortal alike. He recognized this one, as it ran from him, turning back with menacing looks with beady black eyes, chattering with its yellow, jagged teeth, as _Pride_.

Irritated now, Ignis snapped his hand, and the little creature let out a screech as it was engulfed in a small, red explosion. It let out a blood-turning screech as it burned to nothingness and disappeared. Ignis regretted his actions after the creature's disperse. He felt his chest tighten and reached up to grip his robes over his heart, feeling the beat become heavier against his rib-cage. He concentrated for a moment on trying to steady his pulse, and then let out a breath, leaning his head back onto the tree trunk.

This was one of the test from Fate, he realized. And with a groan, he realized also that, at his full power, that stupid creature wouldn't have been able to affect him at all.

--

Was it a dream? She hoped it was. Sitting alone, in that dark place, with nothing around her, no light, no sound, not even her own voice could be heard. There was nothing. Just empty blackness. She had never felt more frightened in her entire life. _'I want out of here...'_ she thought, feeling like she might've cried. _'I want away from here. I don't like this. I don't like this at all...make it go away!'_ She was sitting with her knees to her chin, holding herself and rocking back and forth, _'Someone make it go away! Someone help me!'_

Ariel became aware of something. Touches of warmth, comforting, like the gentle touch of someone small. She looked to see nothing, but far off was light, casting an eerie glow on a winding gravel path. Ariel scrambled to her feet and found herself rushing for that light, hoping it was something that could bring her salvation from this place.

But, as she traveled down that winding gravel path, she felt like her body was growing heavier and heavier. She looked around and saw moving shadows that slowly came into focus. They moved like ghosts, these figures. She could see them only as remnants, and watched as they floated around. The more she watched them, the more she saw them as faces, people she recognized. The gravel path she stood on never faded, but the blackness slowly turned into a place. It was her old home town, a small place, really, but she knew where she stood. It was the old church.

Everyone was dressed in black in the pews. People whispered, trying to be discreet about it. But Ariel knew already. Her eyes turned from each face. She recognized the kind old woman who lived down the road from her in her childhood, who had too many cats and liked to feed the birds from her front lawn. She saw the banker, who wrung his hands even know, scratching his palms now and then. He was a vile man, always looking for more money. She noticed other people she had known all early life, the good and the bad. But most of all, she recognized the young girl in the front pew, sitting next to a very tired looking man.

"I'm sorry," said the man to the girl, "He tried everything to stay with you."

"I know that," the girl said, staring straight ahead. What she was staring at, Ariel didn't know. It was all blackness to her.

"You're a very smart girl," said the tired man with a chuckle, then he casted his eyes down, "I hope that you don't think this means you're alone."

"I know," the girls said again, "I have you, right Uncle? And Nick too."

The man chuckled again, "That's right," he nodded, "That's right..." he looked at his hands as he tightened them. He wore a dark suit with a maroon tie as he looked at the girl next to him, no older than 9, as she held a blue flower in her hands that she stared at intently. "Do you want to give that to him?" he asked.

"No," the girl said, "This is my flower he gave me. He left it at the hospital with the nurse, and she said he wanted me to have it." The girl held it to her nose, "It's my favorite."

The tired man had to turn his head away and cover his mouth, trying very hard not to cry. After he composed himself, he put a hand on the shoulder of the boy beside him, "Nick, take your cousin to the car. We have to get ready to take your Uncle to the cemetery."

"Okay, Dad," said the boy, and he got up. He held out a hand to the girl, and she took it, smoothing her black dress as they walked together down the pews. Ariel was bolted to the spot, it would seem, as the children fazed right through her like she was water. Slowly, the scene began to ripple away, but she heard the final words of the pair.

"I'm sorry about your Dad, Ariel," said the boy.

"It's okay," said the girl with a sad sigh, "Daddy said we're all human, so we all have to die someday. Nothing can change that." With a jolt of terror, the girl looked right at Ariel, and Ariel felt her entire body become cold as the girl repeated, "Nothing can chance that."

Tears fell down Ariel's eyes as she hit her knees, gravel scraping them. She buried her face in her hands as she cried heavily, like she had when they buried her father that day. She cried all the way home, and while she stood in her empty house before leaving with her Uncle.

_'What am I doing?_' Ariel realized as she cried, _'Why did I even agree to marry him? I'm human! I'll die one day, and he'll live forever! He'll never age, he'll never grow old with me! We'll never be able to really be together! Why am I doing this?'_

_'Ariel,'_ the voice made her jump. She had heard it, but there was no form. The scene of her memories had faded away, and now it was darkness again, not even the gravel path remained. _'Ariel,'_ it came again, and seemed to be coming from everywhere.

_'Where are you!?'_ she wanted to cry out, but she could make no sound.

_'Why?_' came the voice.

_'Because I love you,'_ came her voice, but her mouth never opened. She was struck for a moment, until she saw the far-off scene. Unlike the last one, where she seemed to be in the middle of it, this once was distant, almost like staring into a painting on a wall as it moved.

It was her and the god. Ariel didn't recognize the scene at first. But as she watched, she remembered. This was when she had said yes. She watched the god wrap her in his arms, and remembered the feeling. She watched her past self smile happily and allow herself to be held by him, and remembered how she had loved it.

There was a sudden pounding in her chest and she nearly screamed in surprise, but instead, she found herself bolting up from lying on her back, and was face to face with a strange man. He knelt in front of her, an arm over his bent knee, and watched her intently from a respectful distance. He had shoulder-length silver hair pulled back with locks framing a beautiful, handsome face, and violently blue eyes. He wore robes similar to the Harvest God, but on his right shoulder was a plate of dark platinum armor. His robes were colored grey and dark blue, and he wore, about his neck and arms, different bands than the Harvest God of silver, that wound like snakes and ended in sharp points. He had bare feet, and from each ear-lobe dangled 3 silver shards that, when they touched, make the most subtle chiming sound. In truth, to Ariel, he resembled the Harvest God and Cefia very much.

Upon seeing her fully awake and examining him, he stood up and spoke, "I see that you have survived the first task."

"S-Survived?" Ariel blinked at her own voice. It was rough and weak, her throat shore as if she had been screaming for hours. She rubbed it, now feeling how dry and coarse it was.

"Drink," he commanded, and indicated to a small stream not far from her. Ariel looked, and was grateful for it. But when she reached out, she became aware, once again, of her bindings. She followed the chain this time to find that the links seemed to emerge from the ground itself, like they were made from it. Not only that, but her outfit was not what she last remembered wearing. She wore a pearl white gown with short, off the shoulder lace sleeves and golden weaving at the hems.

She looked to this stranger and said, after clearing her throat, "Who are you? What's going on?"

The man gave her a smirk grin and a kind of storm seemed to come alive in his blue eyes, "Don't tell me that only my brother is known to you. Is the human race so stupid as to forget who I am?" He huffed and turned away when he saw that she wasn't remembering. "Maybe I am too lax on the mortals. I'll be sure to seen storms to destroy your village then, so that I am surely remembered next time."

He turned to her know, looking very dignified, as Ariel watched his body become engulfed in bright silver-blue light. "I am the Storm God."

Ariel gulped and immediately realized her folly. She bowed her head low and said, "I-I'm sorry, I--"

"Spare me," he said, silencing her pleas, "I haven't the need to hear your apologies."

Ariel tried to not to look him in the eyes again and turned instead to look at her surroundings. The grass under her was bright green and soft, and the more she looked, the more she realized that this strange meadow of grass dotted with patches of clovers and wildflowers, was actually perched in a mountain. She asked before she could check herself, "What is this place?"

Surprisingly, the Storm God answered her, "It it the Meadow of the Immortals," he said, "It was decreed that you be brought here at the beginning."

Ariel looked back at him, but tried not to meet his eyes. He was gazing away into the sky, which was crystal clear, with only a few clouds and a rolling mist going through the meadow. Somewhere, she heard the trickle of a tiny spring, and the whisper of the wind. "The beginning of what?" she asked.

He chuckled, but didn't look away from the sky, "The Proposal," he said, then his expression went blank, "He has three days to come for you, as Fate decreed. He must have you at the bottom of this mountain by day three, or the challenge is incomplete."

Ariel felt something foreboding about the words "three days" and dared to ask, "What happens...if he isn't here in time?"

The Storm God seemed amused again and said, "Then you both will probably die," he looked at her, "It's killing him, coming up this mountain to find you, you see. If he gets here, it will be a miracle." He moved away and went over to a large boulder, where he leaned up again it and crossed his arms over a beautifully sculpted chest, "If he doesn't make it at all...then," he grinned at her, looking more terrifying than ever, "I have to kill you.'

Ariel felt her heart stop momentarily, and time itself seemed to stand still.

In the distant shadows cast by the mountain, the dark creation of Fate still hid, it's beady eyes locked dead on Ariel. It hissed its little laugh and whispered to itself, knowing her as easy prey. _Doubt_ had already entered her mind once. It would be simple to get in again...

--

**A/N**: Okay, next part of the challenge. Offically (at least so far...) there are two more chapters to the challenge. So hang in there with me, as I'm still working out all the kinks!

Keep reading and reviewing! ^-^ Thanks a ton to everyone!

-Alma Theresa


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